Worm One shot vault
by Smaugtheterrible
Summary: One shots, written plans/concepts are before each chapter, the vault is a place for ideas to remain fresh, if you want to use concepts or ideas from a chapter, please PM.
1. Chapter 1

_Punisher_

 _Idea- an older Taylor has her family die in an accident, caught in a cape fight between a few members of the Triumvirate and the Slaughterhouse 9, she doesn't trigger, instead she obsesses with becoming skilled enough, while staying human, to take down Capes._

 _Lung Battle_

Breath in, a breath out, a steadying of the scope. Between the crosshairs, a bulky asian man with a bare tattooed chest was waving his clenched fists, a half dozen asian goons in ABB colors standing at rapt attention.

A quick check on the PRT file laying on the roof next to me, a quick confirmation of the mans identity, civilian name, Kenta, cape name Lung.

A cheek coming to rest against the cool metal and plastic as focus is cast back on the large asian figure just over 500 meters downrange.

Breath in. Breath out.

The crosshairs came to rest on Lungs head, corrections for wind, distance, bullet weight and spin, target movement.

Breath in. Breath out.

A finger on the trigger, and as the breath finally leaves, a finger pulls on the trigger and the rifle jumps, a thundering crack, and Lung fell, his skull disintegrating in a spray of red mist, white shards of bone, and pink brain matter.

Breath in, breath out.

Move to the next target, shoot, breath, move, breath shoot.

Rinse and repeat until every target is down,

Reported time until Lung regenerates from shot to the head, 47 seconds, advance from rooftop to rooftop, take the time and shoot.

Run, shoot, run, shoot, until Lung is less the six feet away. Let the rifle fall to one side, hanging by its strap, draw a heavy pistol and continue to walk forward.

Check Lungs current regeneration progress.

Currently approximately 50% and rising. Reach into a pouch, withdraw ampules of Sulfuric acid and drop them at whats left of Lungs slowly regenerating head. According to most popular theories on regeneration, the concentrated acid would destroy enough of the molecular bonds that allowed for regeneration.

Breath in. Breath out.

 _Scene Break_

The Undersiders looked on in awe, they watched an older woman stand up from her position kneeling over Lungs nearly decapitated corpse, an acrid smelling smoke rising form whatever the severe looking woman.

As she walked closer, more detail was revealed, her face, youthful, her eyes weathered and experienced, brown hair cropped tight against her skull, the severe looking teen was wearing black BDU's and a bullet proof vest, on that vest, was a fanged skull, painted in white that seemed to glare with hate and menace at any who could see it.

Slung at her side was a long rifle, and at her hip, a huge, silvered semi-automatic pistol.

Tattletale gazed at figure, her eyes twitching madly taking the other women's every feature.

It was Grue who asked,

"Who are you?"

The woman just snorted as she checked the pulses of her other victims. She straightened up, her scarred arms bulging, the skull on her bullet proof vest glaring.

"Me? I'm the Punisher."


	2. Chapter 2

_Idea_

Got the idea from the 'Empowered' comics. Hate the comics, and most of the heroes, but most of the villains are actually really good, especially Willy Pete, so here is a quick one shot of Worm a'la Willy Pete.

(For those of you who don't know, Willy Pete is the nickname for the chemical White Phosphorus.)

 _Willy Pete_

Sophia, Emma, and Madison were all laughing as Taylor screamed from inside her locker but then suddenly she fell silent-

 ** _Shape moving through space_**

-and the joke was a hell of a lot less funny then it was before.

 ** _A massive jeweled eye looking down_**

Sophia looked at Emma who nodded, they had to get Taylor out of the locker, but before they could even take a single step the locker it glowed a white hot and _melted,_ falling to the floor in molten droplets, and the thing that stepped out of it, well, to say that it looked only kind of like Taylor would be an understatement.

The thing that stepped out of the locker was 6 and a half foot tall woman, shaped like a Grecian goddess, complete with toga, was built from molten rock, with bits, here and there cooling to provide shape, definition, and color.

The woman lazily ran one hand through her locks of molten hair, and then smiled, her teeth shining out brightly.

"Why, _he-ll-ooo,_ quite a change isn't it?"

The thing that used to be Taylor stepped closer to the three girls, the temperature skyrocketed with each step, the molten Taylor's steps leaving blackened impression in the tile floor, her voice like wood, crackling in a wildfire. Once her molten form was within arms reach of the three girls, Taylor stopped, her head quirked, the sentient lava turned to Emma.

" _Quiz_ time little love. Do you remember my middle name name?"

"P-pete." Emma stuttered. Taylor smile was blinding, literally so, when she smiled her form brightened to such a degree that it was almost impossible to look at her directly, Taylor purred in satisfaction as she reached out one hand towards Emma's quivering face.

" _Exactly_ little love. Now for the bonus round, do you remember my mothers maiden name?"

"Willy."

Taylors molten fingers reached out to lightly caress Emma's cheek, the molten digits leaving trails of ruined flesh, the screams of pain swallowed as the Taylor continued brushing her fingers across Emma's skin.

"Now, dear, _dear_ Emma, I know that you wont know this, but do you think you can tell me what chemical has the nickname, _Willy_. **_Pete_**."

Emma screamed as the molten fingers suddenly dug into her cheeks.

"Its **White Phosphorus**."

Madison screamed as Emmas head burst into flame. Taylor just turned to Madison and Sophia.

"I think the name **Willy Pete** will be a great going forward little lovers, don't you?"

 ** _Welcome To Parahumans Online Message Board_**

 _You are currently logged in,_ _FireGoddess_

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 **Topic: New villain burned down high school**

 **In: Boards Places America Brockton Bay**

 **FireGoddess** (Original Poster) (Confirmed Cape) (A level threat)

Posted January 16th, 2011

Last week on friday, at 1pm, I Taylor Hebert, triggered. When I did, I triggered with case 53'esque abilities, I am now comprised of molten lava a picture is included in the list of links below.

After killing one the bullies who caused me to rigger, I came to my senses, but I still lacked control of my powers, and as the evacuation of Winslow continued, my powers raged out of control, burning the school to the ground.

Since then I been attempting to act as heroic as I can, but the PRT has informed me that with the development of my powers, I have most likely gained a split personality disorder, below in the links are pictures of the new me, and the PRT statement.

So I will say this, Brockton Bay, you have a new hero, and a new villain all rolled into one.

-Sincerely, Willy Pete (villain), and Brighid (hero)

[Link1picture]

[Link2statement]

 **Bagrat** (Guy in know)

Replied January 16th

Huh, I honestly don't quite know what to say tot that, so we have a split personality Cape thats hero and villain? How are we supposed to know which is which?

 **XXXVoidCowboyXXX**

Replied January 16th

Taylor Hebert triggered! She was hot before, but now I guess she's white hot now huh… ANYWAY, to give those not in the know the low down on Taylor Hebert she to a rather tall, skinny brunette. She was getting bullied at School, but I wasn't aware that she was getting bullied badly enough to trigger.

 **Fire Goddess** (Original Poster) (Confirmed Cape) (A level threat)

Replied January 16th

LIER! I know you Greg Veder, _little_ lover boy, who think that he was so hot, who resorts to being a creeper online cause you lack the balls to do it in person. Pathetic.

If I see you post again you weak kneed _fuck,_ I will burn you to ashes and screw myself with your red hot bones.

-Willy Pete

 **TinMother** (Mod)

Replied January 16h

Okay, in case people cant figure out, Will Pete is the villain, and they are the one who just replied to Void Cowboys post. FireGoddess, thats one warning. Earn another and thats a 24 hour ban, be aware, the mods will be keeping a very close eye on all threads involving Willy Pete and Brighid for the immediate future, all sexual comments or innuendo for either will not be tolerated.

 **Tamlin** (Cape groupie)

Replied January 16th

Huh, so thats a thing… Whats the plan to deal with a teenage girl with a sociopathic split personality with overpowered elemental control with a body of liquid magma? That really does _not_ seem like a great way to keep down collateral damage.

 **SpecificFemaleProtagonist**

Replied January 16th

Yeah, that Bitch does not seem safe.

 _Banned by Mod-1 week_

 **TinMother** (Mod)

I told you. No flat out insults. Ban hammer is at the ready.


	3. Chapter 3

_Idea_

So, this has occurred to me when I first got to Jack Slash, what is essentially a Hannibal/Jack the Ripper rip off, so I thought, why not make our favorite neighborhood trigger turn into the _real_ Jack. Not some pale imitation, although, Jack Slash-Jack the Ripper romance, eh? Ehhh? Anyone? No?

The powers are something that I haven't really been able to decide, I nominally was going with something like an adaptation to each target. And so, without further ado, Taylor the Ripper.

 _Jack the Ripper V. Jack the Slash_

Jack Slash, king of Slaughterhouse 9 hummed merrily as walked down darkened alleyways with a spring in his step, and a tune on his lips.

He, and the rest of the 9 had all agreed to come to Brockton Bay on a little, recruiting trip.

Mannequin was there for Armsmaster. Bonesaw for Panacea. Each member had a target that was for recruitment.

But Jack? Jack was here for something special.

Jack the Ripper was in Brockton Bay, and every week, once a week, a woman would end up dead, surgically dissected with the occasional bit missing, sometimes the kidneys, sometimes a chunk of lung or brain matter. Sometimes the heart.

Jack Slash had announced that the 9 would destroy Brockton Bay, if Jack the Ripper did not show his face, then the 9 would burn his hunting grounds to ash. The Ripper had responded by killing Shatterbird and leaving a message spelling out the time and date in her entrails. And so, the Ripper would meet the Slasher.

Jack Slash took one final turn down a darkened alleyway, and there at the end, in the fading light of the setting sun was a tall figure, swaddled in an overcoat, the face obscured by a thick red cloth, on top of brown hair, a pair of ice blue eyes, and below, a pair of leather gloves that creaked with strain as Jack the Ripper gazed implacably at Jack Slash.

Slash smiled disarmingly, his empty hands held wide.

"Well, I've heard that there was another Jack in town. But to kill Shatterbird, just to send me a message…" Slash whistled low before continuing. "Now thats damn impressive. What would you say if I asked you to join?"

Jack the Ripper scratched idly at their red scarf, and finally pulled it down, reveling plump lips, and the proud, aristocratic features of a mature, female, teen, and then a voice that sent shivers down Slash's spine, that _voice!_ It was like melted chocolate and velvet across bare skin! Sensual, calm, smooth.

"I would say, Jack Slash, that I don't intend on giving up my hunting grounds so easily. Especially not to a bunch of filthy barbarians like yourselves."

Slash frowned, the tone was good, but the words curdled any enjoyment he might have felt. He contemplated what he knew of the mysterious killer in front of him.

Jack the Ripper, a serial killer who had been killing the criminals and the women of Brockton Bay with abandon for the last few months, apparently removing parts of the remains either as souvenirs, or to eat. The Ripper had sent letters, graphic letters, describing his past actions, and his plans for future kills.

The Ripper frowned as Slash remained silent.

"If you intend to remain silent, Jack the Slash, I could simply rip your vocal cords out, that way you have an actual reason to remain silent." Jack rubbed her mouth contemplatively, her tongue darting out to taste the air. "In fact, I think I will do even worse. First to you, and then the rest of the 9."

Jack the Ripper, terror of London, and now of Brockton Bay began walking forward, out of one sleeve slipped a simple knife with a leather handle, the Rippers boots clopped slightly on the concrete of the alley as she approached Jack Slash who was backing away, his hand falling to his own concealed knife, with a quick sigh over wasted talent Slash brought up his blade, aimed it at the Rippers head and extended, the invisible cutting edge that his powers allowed him to project shooting out to slice through the teens throat.

Jack stopped and looked down at her throat with an almost curious expression as the blood poured out from her throat in thick streams. Then the blood stopped, and Jacks cut throat reversed like the rewind in a movie.

Slash cursed, he might be the leader of the 9, but that was because of his skills of manipulation and sheer sadism coupled with a not insignificant intelligence, rather then his ability to extend the cutting edge of a blade to insane lengths without loosing a power.

But against an opponent that was fast, strong, apparently couldn't die, and refused to let him speak? Yeah. Time to run.

But as he turned to run, another Ripper melted out of the alley wall.

"Where are you going Slash? Are you trying to _run?"_

Slash weaved past the Ripper turned a corner, and almost ran into another identical Ripper.

"You, Slash, are a pale imitation of the real Jack, of the **ripper**."

And as Slash continued running through dirty alleyways, more Rippers appeared, oozing out of shadows, melting out of walls, or just suddenly appearing like a lighting strike.

"The **Ripper** is everywhere Slash."

A frantic turn.

"The **Ripper** is always."

A last ditch jump over a dumpster and into an open street, that is until a dozen identical Rippers walked out and surrounded Slash, their blue eyes gazing at Jack with an expression of the utmost lust and hunger, that sent shivers down Jack Slash's spine, and then the unholy chorus spoke, their identical voices meshing together to form a buzzing harmony.

"Jack the Ripper is always and forever Jack, and you and your Slaughterhouse will ruin one of the best hunting grounds Ive found in _decades_. We can't have that, Jack. So, the **Ripper** will cut, tear, and **feast** upon the flesh of mass murderers this night."

The identical figures blurred and dissolved into nothingness, leaving one Ripper standing before Slash, who stepped forward to speak, to make one last effort to salvage a promising candidate.

But Jack the Ripper blurred, and then Jack Slash looked down to find a knife buried in his chest and the Rippers teeth at his throat, Jack Slash, also known as Jacob, had one last thought.

 _'_ _we would have been_ ** _so_** _great together…"_


	4. Chapter 4

_Idea_

So, basically for just about every fan fiction save maybe two for when Taylor triggers in the locker, they sort of just ignore a lot of the theory that goes behind why people get the powers that they get to just give Taylor whatever awesome power they want.

Not saying its a bad thing, especially since I enjoy it so much, but I am saying that it ignores the fact that when Taylors was stuck in the toxic waste pile and insect ridden heap that her locker became, her body adapted to overcome the insects, which were then used to overcome the rest of it.

In my mind the theory of triggering relies on two specific 'reasonings' for why people get the powers they do. The first reasoning is location/cause, essentially the idea that a person will trigger in order to overcome a specific obstacle or because of a specific trauma, in essence the person burning in a fire, triggering with a control over fire, a person drowning triggering and being able to breathe underwater, or becoming a hydro kinetic. The second theory behind why people get the powers that they do is genetics/expectation. Supposedly genetics has some influence on the powers that people receive. The entirety of the Dallon clan (With the exception of Panacea who was adopted, and got body manipulation powers that were simply on a greater scale then her genetic father.) getting powers that all were fell very closely together with laser and light themes. Another prominent example would be Kaiser's (Max Anders) son Teddy(?), also known as golem, who rather then his fathers metal control, got a far broader version of 'earth control'

This next idea is basically taking those concepts, and then giving Taylor just a dash of Bonesaw-esque powers, not even close to duplicating them, but definitely Bio-tinker.

 _Plague Doctor_

Aegis sighed as he helped first responders in the aftermath of another Tinkertech explosion, this one a bomb that released a short-lived bacterium. In the aftermath of Lung's capture, Bakuda, the ABB's new bomb focused tinker had gone on a rampage, detonating bombs with varied effects all across the city in an effort to get the unknown cape who had taken Lung down to show themselves.

The dragon of Kyushu had been found 3 weeks ago, in a coma, with his body misshapen with growing and pulsing lumps of flesh that were slowly receding as his healing factor took hold, however, at the rate the apparently cancerous lumps were receding, Lung wouldn't be in any shape near active for at least another month.

Aegis, his in-human constitution allowing him to withstand the small amount of exposure he had to the bacterium, was assisting, ferrying the injured back and forth from detonation sites to aid stations and first aid hospitals that had been set up throughout the city.

But as the day set on the third day of Bakuda's rampage, Aegis noticed a green mist that seemed to billow out of the sewers. Aegis ignored the screams and the cries of distress as the fog came closer, his eyes locked on a figure in the fog, carrying a swinging censor, from with seethed more fog, glowing a faint, sickly green.

Aegis started as the figure came closer, the figure's face was dominated by a old fashioned, bone white plague doctors mask, a pair of crimson glass lenses seemed to glow from deep within, adding just a little more creep factor to an already terrifying visage, other then the mask, not a single identifying marks was visible, a black hood covering any hair, leather gloves covering the figures hands, a strange cross between a skirt and pants falling to just above a pair of black work boots.

As the figure walked closer, it would stop periodically, checking on people who were collapsed and screaming, but as the wounded and infected breathed in the smoke, they quieted, visible lesions and wounds closing.

The figure poked and prodded at the occasional person, swabbing some and putting the leavings in pouches, others he would lay a pill in a mouth, or a poultice on a more serious open wound or two.

Aegis edged closer to the figure.

"Who… Who are you?!"

The figures head tilted, its red eyes peering unnervingly at Aegis, the voice that emerged was garbled and phlegmatic, It sounded like the figure was gargling on blood. Whatever was wrong with the figure, it rendered their voice almost indecipherable.

" _I… Am… The Plague Doctor… It is… A… Pleasure to… Meet you… Aegis…"_

Aegis shifted in nervous readiness as the slightly glowing green fog made its way closer to him.

"Are you hero or villain?"

The birdlike mask tilted to the other side before that diseased voice came forth again, presenting an almost inhuman.

" _Rogue… With… Heroic leanings…"_

Aegis shifted out of his stance, that answer was far more honest then most responses would have been. If they had been a villain they either would have attacked or said hero before trying to get in closer, a hero would have responded with both hero and affiliation, so in other words it actually reassured Aegis that they had answered so bluntly. But, there was something that bothered him.

"Why are you, a tinker with obvious Biokinetic leanings out and about, risking yourself? Heroic leanings or not, you are a Rogue, not a lot of support for you if things go wrong."

Plague Doctor shrugged.

" _I… was the one… who captured… Lung."_

Plague Doctor cocked their head again, this time as though they were listening to something unheard, probably a com in their mask, but nevertheless, after a few moments of tense silence, then the Plague Doctor shrugged again.

 _"_ _it seems… I am needed… elsewhere… It was a… pleasure meeting you Aegis…"_

As the Plague Doctor turned to walk away, Aegis was suddenly overcome, he rushed forward, trying to stop a cape who was single handily healing dozens of people, and who had managed to taken down Lung, a cape he had to know more about, a cape who's powers could be absolutely deadly if not controlled.

But then, just as Aegis's hand was about to clasp the Plague Doctor's shoulder, the figure garbed in black and bone whirled and stabbed a syringe into Aegis, and then quickly depressed the plunger.

Aegis' body froze, his joints locking painfully into place. Plague Doctor secreted the syringe into the depths of their cloak before speaking again.

" _I have… Just injected you with… A intense… virus that causes… Your muscles to lock… It has a half life of 4 hours… Goodbye Aegis…"_

And with that, the Plague Doctor walked away, their censor trailing that glowing green smoke.


	5. Chapter 5

_Idea_

I was reading a few manga recently, most notably Re:life and My Life as a Slime, and it occurred to me, except as a Dragon or essentially a gigantic mass of flesh, I haven't actually yet seen a fic where Taylor is inhuman. I also have a fondness for good Game fics, so I kinda had to mix the two So, in line with last chapters concept of Taylor actually triggering with a power that can be sort of related to the cause of her trigger, I give you

 _Slime'd_

Taylor screamed from within her coffin of steel and filth. She could _feel_ her body burning, and dissolving from whatever Emma, Madison, and Sophia had shoved in her locker.

She had to get out.

She had to get out _now._

But, instead, her body continued its changes, and finally, as her locker door opened, she reacted by instinct and attacked.

 _Scenebreak_

Emma and Sophia looked at the locker cautiously, they had been laughing as Taylor screamed from within the locker, but then Taylors voice had started to feel _wrong_ , almost like it was melting, and then the Locker had shudders like it was about to break apart, and then nothing.

Sophia looked and Emma and nodded, before cautiously moving to open the locker.

And then they both screamed as a wall of toxic green slim exploded outwards, wrapping around them both, Emma and Sophia clawed at their throat, and at the slime surrounding them, but as they chocked, something else far more alarming happened.

They began disintegrating, the clothes, the hair, the _skin._

Finally they both gasped their last and finished dissolving, once they had, that green orb of slime seemed to twitch, its form swirling around and somehow conveying an expression of the utmost panic. It then slid its way towards the doors at a sprint, still somehow squirming in panic.

 _Scene Break_

 **Congratulations! You passed the Tutorial!**

 **Prizes : Basic resistance to poison/disease/toxins, Basic resistance to mental control, Ability Consume to gain strength, Ability poison damage, Ability Toxin Damage, Ability disease damage, Ability Corrode, Basic Sight, Human Soul**

 **Loot**

 **Emma Barnes : Basic Diplomacy, Basic Leadership, Basic Acting, Basic Emotional Assault, Basic Mental Assault **

**Sophia Hess/ Shadow Stalker:** **Basic Martial Arts, Basic Marksmanship, Weakness to electricity, basic resistance to blunt damage, basic resistance to cutting damage, Basic Sneak skills, Advanced Sneak skills, Advanced Mental Assault gained, Basic Shadow Magic gained**

 ** _Continue onto Chapter 1:_ _Mercantile_ _endeavors?_**

 ** _Yes_** **_No_**

 ** _You have selected Yes_**

 _Scene Break_

A toxic green slime inched its way through a back alley, periodically taking in a piece of trash or metal into its body, where it would then dissolve and then the Slime would either seemingly droop in sadness or disappointment, or perk up like a puppy getting its ears scratched.

It was busy scrounging around in the trash for useful items to consume, it didn't notice the trio of grungy looking men bearing Merchant colors and clothing walk into the alley.

However they definilty noticed the slime, they poked each other and whispered for a few times before approaching the Slime quietly, a upended trashcan held at the ready, once they were within a few feet, the Slime seemed to freeze, and then in a rush the three Merchants brought down the empty trashcan onto the slime, and then began high-fiving and congratulating one another, absentmindedly wondering just what Skidmark would give them for delivering a Tinker creation to him.

In their drug induced fantasies they did not notice the slight hole burnt into the top of the trash can, and the long tendril of virulent green slime that extruded itself from that pinhole until its full form was resting on top of the trash can.

The Slime seemed to pause there for a few moments, as though considering what to do, the merchants finally turned around, and their eyes widened as they saw the now free slime, they began to panic and reach for weapons, screaming.

Wether it was the screams, the aggressive action, the fear, the fact they had attempted to trap the slime, or simply because it felt like it, the slime leapt into action, expanding in monstrous fashion to encompass all three of the men.

And like before after a short period of digestion, any sign that the three men had been there, was gone forever.

The Slime, after the large meal it had just consumed seemed to pause, considering its next, but then with an abrupt jolt, the Slime head off with a distinct purpose.

 **Congratulations! You passed Mercantile Endeavors Pt 1**

 **Prizes : Ability: Echolocation, Ability: Acid touch, Ability: Resist Bind, Information Received: Bounty: Skidmark, Mush. Rescue: Squealer, Interrogate: Trainwreck**

 **Loot : Merchant thug 1: Basic Drug Resistance, Advanced poison resistance, Medium leadership, Basic Firearm skill**

 **Merchant Thug 2: Advanced Drug Resistance, beginning brawler, beginning morse code, medium firearm skill, Beginning Decoder**

 **Merchant Thug 3: Master Drug Resistance, Medium Brawler, Medium Martial Arts, Beginning First Aid, Advanced Firearm skill, Beginning explosive expert**

 ** _You have can now proceed on to Merchantile Endeavors Pt2!_**

 ** _Yes_** **_No'_**


	6. Chapter 6

_Idea_

I think Parian's powers is probably the most underrated single ability in the entirety of the Worm Fanon. Almost every single character, save for the most dangerous threats like Echidnea and Scion all were legit costumes made out of some sort of fabric, even if like Kaiser its just underneath the costume. A simple flexing of powers could have Parian snapping necks left and right.

She creates obscenely good costumes, that are bulletproof, tear proof, and probably a few other things proof. Heck she can even create giant golems of fabric that she can control and use to beat the crap out fo people. Heck, imagine using a small snake of fabric with a stinger of poisoned wire. A quick poke and you could down people anywhere, and with ease. I don't know for sure based on the descriptions of her powers, but she could probably even pull a shatter bird and use an all fabric costume to fly.

So, in other words, I aim to give Taylor a slightly different power then Parian. Also. Parian Is a boss, in a town like Brockton Bay she managed to remain neutral in the face of gangs that would kill or recruit her at the drop of a hat.

So, without further ado, I present,

 _Rag doll_

(Name is subject to change. I had a few that fit, but this just seemed to be the best)

Miss Militia strolled towards Parian's shop with new Ward Browbeat. She was giving him the grand tour, and it was time that she introduced the new Ward to Brockton Bay's foremost costume maker.

Well, costume _makers_ she supposed now, with Rag Doll in the mix. Militia suppressed a slight shiver. The costume maker that had started working with Parian was, odd, to say the least. She, or it, seemed to have a body made out almost entirely of fabric except for just over half her face. Some of the more superstitious troopers, and even a couple of the other Protectorate and Ward members whispered that Parian had created Rag Doll out of a corpse and a few bolts of a dark fabric, _unholey_ fabric.

Parian motioned for the bare chested Ward to follow and they entered Parians nondescript shop. Browbeat looked around himself with wary eyes at the dark store, different colored rolls of fabric and other materials dominated one side of the store.

Militia walked up to a desk in the middle of the room and rang the bell. From a curtained off section in the back of the store, Parian walked out, dressed in black Victorian lace, with a blond, curly wig, and porcelain mask.

A bored, slightly accented voice came from behind the smiling, rosey checked and red lipped mask.

"Oh, Miss Militia, what a surprise. And who is that behind you? A new Ward? Finally admitting I make better costumes then the Protectorate?"

Militia gave a slightly strained smile. It was a sticking point with Parian that despite her reputation as the foremost maker of costumes in the North East, the Protectorate had never approached her for so much as a bolt of her special bullet proof fabric.

"Not today I'm afraid," Miss Militia continued, "I am only here to introduce you to our newest Ward who you will start seeing around town in the next week or so."

Parian turned to look at Brow beat, her porcelain mask obviously, and possibly sarcastically taking in Browbeat.

"Is he then? I suppose Ragdoll should meet him then."

She then taps a quick three beat rhythm on her desk, while Militia opened her mouth, about to deny the fact that he ever needed to meet… _That._

But before she could, Militia heard a delicate cough from behind her and almost shrieked, and she turned to see Rag Doll, in all her creepy glory.

She stood at just under six feet tall, her body almost entirely covered in some fort of fabric, even her hands were covered by a skin tight, and skin colored fabric, each finger tipped with a porcelain nail. She was dressed in a stereotypical outfit that you might see on a scarecrow in a field somewhere. Her hair was red strings of thick cotton, her right eye was covered by fabric, in which was stitched a simple brown button. The left side of her face was pale, wile her mouth was seemingly stitched shut. On top of her head rested a crushed hat, that looked like it might have once been a regal top hat, made out of a black velvet, but instead was crushed, and worn. Her feet were also covered in that skin colored fabric, even her individual toes were tipped with tiny, red painted porcelain nails.

Rag Doll danced forward on her cloth feet and cast one speculative at Browbeat, and a dismissive one at Miss Militia. After a few moments of silent observation of the newest Ward, Rag Doll turned to look at Parian with a curious tilt to her head.

Parian, sounding rather bemused, shook her head.

"No Darling, they aren't here for a fitting. They are just here for a quick meet and greet, apparently the shirtless one is a new Ward."

Rag Doll seemed to mope, her head sagging, her feet dragging on the carpeted floor of the shop. Then abruptly, Rag Doll shrugged, and then winked at Parian who gasped.

"NO! We are certainly not going to do… _that_ with a Ward Rag Doll!"

Rag Doll smiled, her stitched together lips straining as if to say,

 _'well I wasn't the only one enjoying the free peep show from the beefcake'_

Parian just huffed and turned back to the dumbfounded heroes before speaking primly.

"Well then. Since my Darling seems to be in _quite_ a mood, I think you both had better leave."

Militia nodded hastily and grabbed the dumbfounded Browbeat before making a hasty exit.

There was a brief pause as the door to the shop closed with an audible thud, and then Rag Doll's lip stitches unwound themselves and she traded a quick amused glance with Parian before they both collapsed laughing.

"Oh my god Taylor! That was great! Miss Milita looked like she was about to piss herself, and the new Ward was either going to pop a boner or faint!"

"Maybe both!" Giggled Taylor, her voice soft and smooth.

They slowly regained their composure, as they stood up, Parian removed her mask, revealing dusky features that were fixed in a seductive smile.

"I wonder what we can do for the rest of the day…"

She trailed off meaningfully as Taylor smiled heatedly and quickly followed Parian, although she preferred Parian's real name, Sabah, into the back of the shop, for a few hours of… _distraction._

 _Scene Break_

Later that night, Sabah and Taylor were awoken by yelling. They looked at each other and nodded, quickly donning their costumes, Taylors seemed to slither onto her naked body, sealing itself onto the large gaps and tears in that looked like they had been given to her by a wild animal.

Once they were both suited up, they went outside, to be confronted by two dozen skin heads. At the front was a bald man with a cheap rubber wolf mask, and a snarling wolf tattoo on his bare chest.

Hookwolf.

Parian stepped forward, her arms held at her side, her voice loud, but calm and in control.

"What is the meaning of this Hookwolf? Our neutrality is respected by all gangs."

Hookwolf scoffed.

"Only because you were too insignificant to give a shit about. But now with your girlfriend, you've become a problem. One Kaiser would like removed."

Parian's arms drifted behind her back, and with a discreet signal, Rag Doll put her defenses to work.

A dozen serpent like strips of cloth with a needle like piece of wire jutting from their heads slithered out from the surroundings, unnoticed by the jeering skin-heads.

With silent motions they all quietly approached each thug, and then with final discrete motion, each needle plunged into the leg of its chosen target, punching through cloth and flesh to deliver a paralytic that dropped each of its victims, the Natzis' barely having time to look surprised before they fell.

Rag Doll turned to Parian with a incredibly disturbing grin creasing her stitched lips.

Parian just sighed.

The things she did to indulge her girlfriends sadism.

"There all yours Darling."

Rag Doll giggled and clapped her cloth hands together, childlike in her sadistic glee.


	7. Chapter 7

First, Guest who commented on chapter 5 on March 13th, My point was that I hadn't seen a Taylor who couldn't or wouldn't take human, or at least humanoid form. Ive read Forged in Blood and Bone, and as far as I was able to tell, she was still able to take at least a human appearance. Basically, what I mean, is, I almost never see Taylor with case 53'esque abilities.

I agree that Queen of the Swarm, kinda, but not really applies.

'Taylor Varga', sorry, but that does not count, she does admittedly have a lizard tale, but literally one of the first abilities she gets is to hide it.

In 'Ship Happens' Taylor becomes a bio-computer, but can still look human, she can also choose not to.

In Queen of Blood, again, she can still pass as human.

Good points though. And as far Sophia not going into her Breaker state, the slime in the manga I was reading, had a special ability that allowed it to consume anything. I assume the translation of the ability would be a trump-like ability to cancel out any powers of the person being consumed.

NOW! I do realize that I am fond of murderhobo esque worm situations, honestly that seems like a natural progression to me. Yeah sure, some people can become heroes, but Taylor has what is literally the worst two years of her life in a universe where people are literally given super powers after having the worst experience of their lives. Not exactly conducive to heroics.

She takes on the role of a cosmic piss bucket, and if thats not enough to break someone after having their mother die, their father die a thousand little emotional deaths, and their sister in all but blood utterly betray them and become their worst enemy, I don't know what is.

And so, with that out of the way, I would like to tap one of my favorite characters for this next one shot.

 _Lets put a_ ** _smile_** _on that face_

Sophia cursed as she kicked her way through the rubble of Bakuda's bombing campaign, she was happy to get out from behind the console after the fallout out from the Hebert debacle.

She cursed as she remembered that whole situation. She, Emma, and Madison had locked the little weakling into her own locker after they had filled with all sorts of unmentionable filth, most of it coming form the girls sanitation bucket in the locker room.

When they had come back to see if anyone had let her out, the locker looked like its hinges had been cut off and Hebert had been nowhere to be found, and her father, well… He had been found gutted like someone had been playing Aztec priest with his insides, and to be fair his outsides considering it had taken a D.N.A. test to determine his identity since all his important features were removed and his face was smashed in.

Since no one came forward, there was no evidence, and in the end no one could prove she had done anything Sophia and the others had gotten off relatively Scott free, with Emma moving to Arcadia, Madison to Immaculata, and Sophia being stuck on Console until Bakuda started with her little hissy fit. She suddenly was broken out of thoughts as she heard what was piercing screams that trailed off into the gargle of death via blood loss and a punctured lung.

Shadow Stalker faded into her Breaker state and edged into the nearby alley where the sound hand come from before and cautiously peered down it, one crossbow unslung with its tip pointing down the alleyway into a scene of horror straight out of the movies.

A long, thin, bone white figure with greenish black hair, dressed in what looked like a purple overcoat and suit was elbow deep into a shuddering corpse, a nauseating squelching sound permeating the alley as the corpses inner workings were explored by the cheerfully muttering figure.

"Now I know that you know where you got _these_ scars from, but do you know how I got mine? It was a night much like this, but rather then in an alley, it was a place I was supposed to be safe and secure, but instead, b such like I am doing to you know, I was tormented, bullied, _broken_. And then rebuilt, into something singularly unique. Something that can do things like this without remorse, without hesitation. I wonder if the people who did this to me knew what was going to happen, if they would have still done this…"

Shadow Stalker's crossbow made a metallic clack as it hit the the side of the alley wall, and she cursed as she realized that she had faded back out of her Breaker State when she hadn't been paying attention.

The figure stood up, and up, its long, thin, pale hands and purple covered limbs unwinding to a height of just over 7ft tall, the figures green hair held in a shiny, almost plasticlike greenish black coif that reminded Sophia of old earth Aleph videos of a musician called Elvis. The figure smile cheerfully at Sophia before speaking, its voice high pitched, but raspy like a soprano singer who had been smoking for 40 years.

"Why _helloooo_ there Shadow Stalker. What a pleasure to see you again, might I ask, why a _mighty_ Ward such as yourself, is in an alleyway such as this?"

Shadow Stalker edged backwards as the asexual figure, creeping like some sort of long limbed spider, a slim, serrated knife slipping from one purple sleeve to slap into one purple gloved hand.

"Now… How would you like to know how I got these scars?"

Sophia turned and ran, falling into her breaker state, she felt a spike of fire erupt in her shoulder as she ran, but she didn't stop. She couldn't.

Not as long that _thing_ was behind her.

 _SceneBreak_

Armsmaster stared at his who gasping and wheezing for breath in front of him.

To be fair, he was actually staring at the slim blade curled in her left shoulder, but that was another matter entirely, Sophia had run through the Protecteroate Lobby, setting off a dozen alarms, before stopping at the front desk and demanding to see him, refusing all medical aid until he did.

He watched impassively, hiding his concern as the young Ward in front of him panted.

"Armsmaster, new Cape… they're…. insane!"

Armsmaster place one large armored hand on Sophia's shoulder as the obviously delirious Wards began giggling. The hand was slapped off almost immediately as she grabbed ahold of Armsmaster desperately, the giggles turning into full blown laughter.

"Ha… Help haha…. Me HA…. _Please_ HA! Hahhaha!"

Armsmaster yelled for a medic as Shadow Stalker collapsed, still laughing insanely.

 _Later that night, PRT medical Bay…_

Sophia woke with a gasp.

She could have sworn that someone was in the room with her, but as she looked around the darkened room, with the lights off, the doors closed, and the blinds drawn she calmed down, she was very much alone, except for the glinting red dot of the camera in the corner…

Wait.

The red light of the camera wasn't on.

 _Temporary glitch maybe?_

Sophia mused, but then shook herself as she realized that if the camera was glitching, a PRT officer would be in her room, so that meant they had no idea the camera was down.

Sophia's head whirled around as she heard light foot steps before a leather clad hand clasped over her face, and a single, slim blade came to rest at her throat, and a silken, rotted voice like arsenic and sugar whispered in one ear.

"Hello Sophia. We both now how I got my scars, but I think its high time I give you some of your own."

Later that night when a nurse walked in to check on the hero, she walked into a horror show, and on the walls were thick, clotting letters of deep, blackish red blood, repeating the same to letters, over and over and over.

 **'** **hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha'**


	8. Chapter 8

Sooo…. This ones weird, but it made me laugh really hard when I though of it. Has anyone ever played the game Dig Dug? If you have, you should already know where I'm going with this, the ratings I would say for Dig-Dug Taylor would be Striker/Blaster 4, Brute/Mover 5, and Trump 9. Anywho, I'll be posing a few more one shots soon, I had a stream of ideas, some of which might acutally work as long stories. And from now on I'll try and write an explanation of powers that way they're a little more clear.

anywho, onto the story!

 _Dig-Dug Worms_

Emily Piggot stared blankly at the screen as it played through a security video of an alley near the docks.

She turned to Armsmaster who was standing next to the screen with a carefully blank exsrpession.

"Play it again."

Arsmaster sighed, but pressed the rewind button without comment, to be fair, he had watched it almost a dozen times before showing to the director.

 _12 hours ago_ ….

Lung was in the middle of ordering his followers to kill the Undersiders when he stopped. The ground behind the dozen high level ABB members he had brought with him was vibrating, the gravel shaking itself away from an area about 10 feet behind them. The gang members, who had noticed as soon as Lung stopped mid-sentence looked behind themselves just in time to see slim figure in a white jumpsuit with a blue visor and a ponytail of brown hair coming out of the top of the figures head, and carrying what looked like a cross between a grappling hook, bike pump and whip come out of the ground, the dirt around it disappearing around it like it had never been there. The jumpsuit figure seemed to look around itself for a brief few moments before turning to stare unerringly at Lung.

Lung stepped forward and stuck his chest out, seeing if he could intimidate whoever this new Cape was. The figure in the white jumpsuit just stared at Lung for a few more moments. Lung was about to step closer to the figure when a spike connected connected to the end of a long section of rubber tubing shot out of the figures weapon before stabbing into Lungs thigh. The watching gang members scoffed, like a _bicycle pump_ would stop _lung_.

Shit just doesn't work that way.

It would be like a rabbit biting a knights throat out.

Thats why when Lung began inflating like some sort of obscene balloon, the watching ABB members were understandably, _distressed_ , aka, screaming like they were auditioning for the role as a Soprano in the opera.

And as Lung continued inflating, they slowly backed away out of the alleyway before turning and running. Back in the alley, Lung had inflated to almost twice his size and showed little signs of stopping. Eventually the growth slowed and the stopped at five times his regular size, leaving Lung a sort of fleshy, partially scaled balloon.

 _'_ _I cant believe this is how it ends_ …' Was Lungs last thought before he popped like an overfilled balloon.

 _End_

So! In case you couldn't guess the ratings, Striker/Blaster for the bicycle Pump that paralyzes the victim since I assume it could be used in close combat as well. Brute/Mover for Dig Taylors ability to burrow through solid rock with no loss of speed, and trump for the ability to inflate and blow up enemies.

Anywho, but, just a note, I could be totally wrong, and please give me some fics if so, but I haven't really found a legit Rogue Taylor, Ive seen a some villain Taylor, a _lot_ of hero Taylor, (usually with O.P. powers) and a metric F# % ton of vigilante Taylor's. I haven't really seen any legit Rogues

Since this was a short chapter, we're moving right onto the next one, which is far simpler, a sort of combo power that I though of when I read Silencio. The idea I got was of a Master/Stranger mix, someone who could go invisible, and manipulate people like puppets on a string (think ninja puppeteers from Naruto), so in other words you have a dude who can control a couple people at once, and is invisible to all forms of detection, (But is still detectable to senses other then sight.) Also, I really want to use the cape name Marionette for the Taylor, but unfortunately it doesn't actually fit that well with her powers, so instead I am having to go with a name I like far less.

 _Puppetteer_

Armsmaster blinked, and checked his anti-Master protocols which were all green. He had received a call of Shadow Stalker and Aegis acting strange, the caller either thought they were mastered or someone was disguised as them, if they were true, it was only the latest in a series of odd occurrences that had been targeting both Heroes and Villains across the city.

He blinked again as he looked back at the scene in front of him, surrounded by dozens of gaping and snickering were the two Wards in question.

And they were in the midst an elegant waltz, Aegis was leading Shadow Stalker through the dance, her cape flowing out behind her in something that Collen could only describe as the height of elegance, their hands were clasped together, as the invisible song seemed to wind down, Aegis and Shadow Stalker took a few steps away form each other and gave a low and exaggerated bow, first to each other, and then to the watching crowd that applauded enthusiastically at the conclusion of the Wards impromptu performance.

The applause ran down as the Wards continued to stand motionless, except for one still loudly clapping patron who who walked forward, the figure was tall and slim, and dressed in a simple black suit with a top hat and a full face mask that was split in two one, was side was an exaggerated frown, and the other a smile. Collen tensed as the costumed figure gave a bow, before straightening, gloved arms spread out wide as though to welcome the crowd.

"Thank you! Thank you! I, ladies and gentlemen, am the puppeteer! And this the performance to announce my coming out so to speak as Brockton Bays newest, and without out a doubt best Rogue of Brockton Bay!"

Puppeteer gave a broad sweeping gesture, and the Wards collapsed like puppets with their strings cut.

Armsmaster carefully edged forward into the opening of the crowd, his halberd coming to bare with the optional tranquilizer attachment ratcheting open with an audible metallic schwing.

"Unknown Parahuman! You will cease all aggressive activity and lie flat on the ground! You are under arrest for the assault with a Parahuman ability and mastering of two Wards! Any aggressive action will be considered an act of aggression and will be responded to accordingly!"

Puppeteer turned to Armsmaster and he could _feel_ the smirk behind the comedy and tragedy mask.

"Well ladies and gentlemen, it seems that my time has come since the nasty, somewhat _incompetent_ protectorate has come late to the party and decided that they should ruin it, so with much regret, I shall have to bid you adieu."

Puppeteer gave another low bow as Armsmaster rushed forward and disappeared. Armsmaster scanned around, in both infrared and some other more common spectrums that capes with invisibility could be detected on, but there was nothing, and as the crowd began to leave, sensing that the show was over, Collin made his way over to the still unconscious and Wards and began to administer first aid.

 _End_

YEAH! So that in my mind is something that gets closer to the Rogue ideal of Uber and Leet who are in it for the money. Any way, at the moment I would rate Puppeteer Taylor at Master 5 and stranger 6, but with experience to upgrade her shard I'd say upper limit is master 7 stranger 7 as her stealth abilities get better and she can control more people for longer periods of time.(Her limit at the moment is two for a period of 60 minutes at any one time.)


	9. Chapter 9

Do you know who the best character(s) are in the original Star Wars extended universe?

Boba and Jango Fett. Now, I get that for people who've only seen the movies that fanning over a man who had 7 lines throughout the entire movie, one of which is _'aaaahhhhhhhh'_ does not seem particularly sensible, but if you read the books that are no longer canon then you realize that both Boba and Jango were stupid good, like top level that you can be while not being Jedi. Jango, was considered _the_ best bounty hunter in the _entire_ galaxy, was so good that he was contracted to and help build an army that was built after him.

And then Boba Fett, the single greatest Mandarlorian who ever Mandoed a Mandalore. Boba has gone face to face with Darth Vader on multiple occasions and walked away, could have killed Mace Windu on multiple occasions, sat across from Palpatine and blackmailed him, single handedly brought to ether the Mando people. He done crap and is the _best_ bounty hunter **ever**.

Also, this fits in better as the idea of a rouge as well, thank you Xbox for giving me two of those, I had already read Waterworks but the other two were new and I enjoyed them, if you have any other good ones I would love to hear them.

 _Mandolore_

I listened as Lung, the dragon of Kyushu spoke, I had originally intended for this night out to be my first, as a way to get used to Brockton while in my armor.

 _'_ _The dragon just threatened children, and while we might disagree on wether or not your goal to become a hero is true Mando, I think we can both agree that killing children is not something we can let slide'_

The rough and worn voice of the man who called himself Boba Fett, a voice of experience, and possibly insanity that I had heard ever since the locker.

'Agreed.'

 _'_ _Besides, taking down the biggest Cape in Brockton, and one of the biggest in the world will definitely make your reputation as a mercenary'_

'Fair enough. Shock and awe before he can ramp?'

 _'_ _Shock and awe before he can ramp. I recommend rocket powered shoulder tackle, then flame thrower and a couple of thermal detonators, and if that doesn't work, finish it off with the 'special surprise'._

'Alright then. Lets do it.'

 _Scene Break_

Lisa watched in awe as the figure in the green painted armor shoulder checked Lung into the nearest alley wall, assisted by the jetpack on his back.

 _Actually a her, trained well, trained by expert, trained by assassin, wants to be a hero, trainer wants her to be mercenary, trainer talking to her right now_

Lisa's eyes widened as a trio of detonations sent Lung flying out of the alley and into the street, followed by a gout of fire.

The woman in the helmet with a T-visor calmly strode forward, a slim, silvery gun held in one hand.

 _Armor a cultural affect and made out of stronger then steel material. Bullet proof. Laser proof. Not actually calm, an effect of training, can kill, will kill, does not want to kill. Gun in hand shoots shoots bolts of superheated plasma, like tinkertech, but not, can be reproduced._

Lisa's eyes widened just a little more as she paled, the woman calmly stepped forward towards the downed Lung, and without hesitation put a few laser bolts through his head, and then she paled even further as the helmets T-shaped visor turned to the rooftop where Lisa and the rest of the Undersiders sat, hidden but observing.

 _Has advanced sensors in helmet, knew they were there the entire time, guessed that Lung was referring to them, but wasn't going to take the risk, didn't want confrontation with big names this early on, irritated that we didn't help_

Lisa winced, this person had just butchered Lung with minimum effort, she didn't want to get on her bad side, but trying to explain right now might not be the best idea. Better to talk later, out of costume.

Lisa turned around and gave a quick gesture to the rest of the Undersiders that had them leaving sharpish on Bitch's dogs.

There were no looks or mutters of disagreement, the fact that someone had just taken out one of the strongest capes on the planet, well, it was a little alarming to say the least, it was certainly enough to make a bunch of small time villains like the Undersiders want to be well out of the immediate vicinity of the person who did the deed.

Lisa, contrary to popular belief, had no problem admitting when she was outmatched.

 _Scene Break_

I sighed. She had known that the Undersiders were up there the moment she stepped ou into the street, but unlike Lung, I had no actual proof that they had, or were going to do something wrong, so I had been forced to deal with the more immediate threat that was Lung the gigantic rage dragon.

And I had done so with vigor. I sighed as I took of my helmet and shook out my long hair, rolling my sore neck. I might have triggered, but by no means did I get any epic powers, at most I was a brute one, and really the only other power I got was a voice in my head.

Granted the voice in my head was a highly trained killer from a parallel universe with incredibly advanced technology, but still. It wasn't even like I had anyone left to protect…

 _'_ _You and I both know that wasn't your fault.'_

'I know Boba, but it still feels like it.'

There was silence from the voice I considered my teacher and friend. I was pulled out of my self pity and rumination as the twin rumble from two motorcycles approached.

 _'_ _Last chance to go masked, are you sure you want to do it this way?'_

'Yes.'

 _'_ _Very well then, good luck little vaa'rika.'_

 _Scene Break_

Armsmaster and Miss Militia pulled up their bikes to a scene straight out of a war zone, bullet holes and divots from explosions gouged out of the brick work of the alley, and a corpse, that with a start Armsmaster realized was _Lung_ , sitting next to it was a tall young woman, in some sort of green futuristic armor, and helmet with a t-shaped visor clasped in two gauntleted hands.

Armsmaster's halberd slipped into his hands as he pointed it armored woman.

"Are you going to fight me?"

The woman frowned as Miss Militia winced.

"If thats how the Protectorate treats new Capes, no wonder you heroes are so outnumbered. And to answer your question Armsmaster, no, I'm not going to fight you, considering none of you armor can stand up to a single shot form any of my weapons, it wouldn't be much of a fight anyway."

Armsmaster grimaced and stepped forward, his halberd coming to bare.

"Unknown Parahuman, are you the one who took down Lung?"

The woman's frown deepened.

"Yes, I did. He had stated that he was going to murder, and I quote, 'children', and while I know that our location isn't near any residential districts, I couldn't take the risk to let him attack whatever target he was aiming for, and so I attacked with enough force to stop him from ramping."

She gestured towards Lung before turning back to Armsmaster with the frown still featuring prominently on her slim, tired looking face.

"As you can tell, it worked. And for future reference, my cape name is Mandalore."

Armsmaster nodded, taking a glance at Miss Militia who was in the middle of contacting the Console, and shrugged mentally as he decided to follow procedure. He stepped closer and brought his halberd to bare at Mandalore, its edge beginning to hum and crackle with electrical energy.

"Mandalore, you are under arrest for the murder of Parahuman known as Lung, real name Kenta Hiyazaki. Divest yourself of any weapons and then lay face down on the ground."

Miss Militia cursed as she heard, too late too stop, Armsmasters demand. Mandalore on the other hand, just looked briefly taken aback, and then rather amused.

"So, I take down Lung, a threat that the Protectorate hasn't been able to so much as touch, and this is the thanks I get hmm? I suppose I shouldn't have held out this much hope/"

Mandalore shrugged to herself and slipped her helmet back on as the tension rose, Miss Militias ever present weapon switching to a heavy caliber rifle and then to a wicked looking knife as she stepped forward, her hands held out non-threateningly.

"Theres no need for violence Mandalore." She said, her voice soft and warm. "I just finished speaking with the director, and you are not under arrest, if you would like to come in to answer some questions, that would be very much appreciated, but you are not required to. However, I will ask that you answer some questions here and now."

Mandalore just shook her head.

"I thank you for the timely intervention Miss Militia, however, I don't trust Armsmaster enough for him to not try and start a fight right now. Instead I'll leave yo with this."

Mandalore reached into one her waist pouches and withdrew a slim thumb drive and tossed it at Miss Militia who caught it.

"That Flash Drive contains the video of my patrol of the docks for the night, as well as information you can use to contact me in an emergency or are looking to hire me. I might not be willing to be a hero if I have to work for him, but I'll still work _with_ you on occasion."

Mandalore then nodded to Miss Milita, shook her head at Armsmaster who still had his weapon pointed at her, and then her jet-pack ignited and she flew off, leaving one very irate hero who turned to her companion, ready to curse him for his actions, but held off at the irate buzzing in her and smirked.

The Director wanted first crack.

 _End_

So, explanation of powers. Taylor still triggered in the locker, but instead of bug control, she gets the voice of Boba Fett in her head, along with Brute 1 or 2, peak of human ability esque power. All her gear? Thats because Fett knows how to build all of his gear, giving her realistically a tinker 8 or 9 rating once she gets backing because all her technology can be reproduced, at the moment she is only a tinker 7 effectual.

As far as things like Beskar go, I really wanted to giver her a shaker ability where she can turn stuff into Beskar, but I couldn't think of a way to go about it.

Also a note for those who are curious, Va'rika basically means little one in Mando.


	10. Chapter 10

This is going to be my third chapter in two weeks, usually I like leaving more time in between, but I really do just have so many ideas at the moment.

On that subject, Fallout Fanfiction, I love the Fallout game series, and as a result, I enjoy most of its fan fiction, but and the same time the great amount of crap fiction is a little irritating, and since I actually haven't seen any Fallout worm fanfic, I present to you a Taylor that would probably be considered Tinker 5 or 6, along with Shaker 5 or 6 and Blaster 7 (Hammer Space with a mini-nuke launcher. Nuff said.) Maybe a low level Brute rating because of the cybernetic enhancements as well.

 _Irradiated Worm_

Emma and Sophia laughed raucously as Taylor screamed and pounded against the Locker, but they stopped as

 ** _A great crystal eye_**

 ** _Massive shapes moving through space_**

And then the screaming stopped, leaving Sophia and Emma both staring at the locker in a sickening mixture of dread and anticipation, Sophia had to admit, she hadn't actually expected this moment to come. That feeling of a Parahuman triggering, she hadn't actually expected Hebert to do it, and now that she had, she wasn't quite sure whether or not to anticipate the birth of another survivor, or fear the incarnation of a predator with an axe to grind.

Whatever Sophia thought she was ready for, what happened next wasn't it.

The locker door was kicked off its hinges, and out stepped what seemed like to Sophia, a twisted, nightmarish version of riot police.

The figure was wearing a dark brown patched trenchcoat, a black helmet with a flared mouthpiece and blood red lenses, the figures gloved and armored hands creaked and groaned as they grasped a futuristic looking gun that hummed ominously and glowed a deep, sickly green. The figure looked around itself, before seeming to focus on the two girls in front of it.

"Sophia… Emma… Is that you?"

It spoke, in a voice like a desert. The two girls nodded hesitantly, Emma sending Sophia a look, trying to tell the hero to get the PRT here, the figure stood stock still for a moment, before it started laughing, at first it was dry, rasping wheeze of a laugh that rapidly grew into great heaving sobs of hyena like cackles of manical laughter that bounced of locker doors as it grew into a cacophony of sound, that suddenly stopped as the figure whispered.

"Im _back…_ It **WORKED!** "

The figure turned back to the two girls and pulled of its helmet, revealing a worn, thin female face with long brown hair held in a bun, scars dotting her features.

Here, two quarter sized holes just below her hairline.

There, a long, slim faded line at her temple.

The woman began gesturing at herself and speaking frantically.

"You guys! Its me! Taylor! You would not believe what just happened to me!"

Sophia's jaw dropped.

 _"Taylor!?"_

The woman who was apparently Taylor nodded fiercely.

"Yeah! After you two pushed me into the locker, I somehow was transported somewhere, it was wild, and it sucked, I had begun to think this place was a dream…"

Taylor paused, and her expression soured, her gloved hand clenching tightly as it drew the gun, the barrel still aiming towards the floor.

"You… You did this… You made me _live_ through that Wasteland, you made lose my family and friends… It was all **you**."

Emma strode forward with a smile on her face.

"Of course we did Taylor, but now, _now_ your strong. Now we can go back to being sisters."

Sophia winced.

Now don't get her wrong, she wasn't exactly the nicest person, too her friends or her family.

Nice people weren't survivors.

But even she understood, that maybe not telling the person you just triggered, and who apparently was tripping balls and went threw some shit since they now look a good twenty years older, that now that you triggered and had powers, you could be friends.

Yeah, probably not.

Taylors face tightened and the gun rose to point unerringly at Emma's forehead.

"You want to rethink that?"

 _Scenebreak_

Armsmaster arrived, having received 24 separate calls of shots fired at Winslow which was the school Shadow Stalker attended, to see Shadow Stalker in her civilian guise, along with one other civilian with red hair being held at gun point by an older woman in weathered armor, with a high tech gun that looked like it might expel liquid plasma, or at least that was Armsmaster guessed based on the burn marks in the wall next to Shadow Stalkers head.

"What is going on here?!"

He demanded, his halberd coming to point at the hostile woman, armed with Tinker-tech who merely snarled at him before turning and doing the same towards Shadow Stalker and the civilian.

"Do you want to tell him, or should I?"

 _End_

Anywho, hopefully another chapter soon, and I do enjoy reviews, so please g-me g-me. Since as I said earilier, I currently have a list of ideas, I probably wont accept suggestions for a little while longer, but as always feel free to P.M. me or comment with which idea you want to take and where and when you will post it so's I can see it.


	11. Chapter 11

Anywho, hopefully another chapter soon, and I do enjoy reviews, so please g-me g-me. Since as I said earilier, I currently have a list of ideas, I probably wont accept suggestions for a little while longer, but as always feel free to P.M. me or comment with which idea you want to take and where and when you will post it so's I can see it.

I wanted too do a second part for this concept, just because I wanted to show an example of Taylors actual Fallout power abilities and how pissy its going to make Armsmaster…

 _Irradiated Worm Part 2_

Emily Piggot stared through the one way glass at the person who was apparently Taylor Hebert, plus twenty or so years spent in a radioactive waste land.

Piggot shook her head. She had heard of weird triggers, but if the story hard looking woman in the interrogation room was true, she was a prodigious soldier and killer with a body count in the low quadruple digits, and the trauma to match. But her more immediate concern was if her story of _how_ she triggered was true, well, then she had a soldier with access to frankly stupidly advanced weaponry. Piggot sighed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose irritably.

 _'_ _Who the hell even_ ** _thought_** _of a shoulder mounted Nuke launcher?'_

 _2 hours ago…_

After a incredibly tense discussion, and promises from both Armsmaster and the director, Taylor had agreed to allow them to take Sophia, Emma, and Madison into custody, afterwards Colin had welcomed Taylor who had asked him to refer to her as Courier into his workshop so she could tinker.

He had been expecting some interesting things, but not the whole, dimensional pocket, advanced nuclear and energy based weaponry and interesting.

That had changed when Taylor had managed to build a plasma rifle and full suit of combat armor, both of which when tested were incredibly lethal, and incredibly effective in their respective cases. And then when they had brought Taylor down to firing range and told her to show an example of her weapons, from weakest to strongest, she had started with a pistol, then to a simple rifle, then to a laser rifle, then a grenade launcher, then an anti-material rifle that had blasted a head of a mannequin, the final weapon that she brought out had been the mini-nuke launcher, of course she hadn't actually _said_ what it was before she had fired it, where the targets at the end of the firing range, there now was a smoking, slightly radioactive crater.

Now she was currently cycling through her weapons, using the supplies Armsmaster had provided to fix up each unique weapon in turn. He wasn't really sure how she was managing to do that with duct-tape, a little scrap metal, and some wonder glue.

Collin had to shake his head as he watch her work. The woman _wasn't_ a tinker, her technology could conceivably be reproduced, but hell if he knew how to do it, everything, from the self contained energy systems to the nuts and bolts strapping it all together, all of it was _just_ different enough for Armsmaster to not know how to even begin working on it.

His earpiece buzzed, signaling for Armsmaster to bring Taylor to into the interrogation room, Director Piggot wanted Armsmaster to take a crack at her.

 _Scenebreak_

Taylor stared at the thick-set woman across from her who said that she was the director of the PRT, the woman in charge of Sophia.

"Lets be honest, are you a Parahuman?"

Taylor shook her head.

"Technically? No. Everything I learned can be taught, reproduced, built, or otherwise imitated. I might technically qualify on your rankings in a few categories, but I don't have a Gemma."

Piggot nodded.

"And what do you intend to do about Sophia?"

Taylors eye twitched slightly as she suppressed a visible reaction, and instead, leaned forward, the leather and metal of her trench coat and armor creaking and clinking.

"I think the better question is what do you intend to do? You are the one who was supposed to be looking after her. While Sophia and I were… _discussing_ things…. I learned she was on probation. So how the _hell_ did she get away with all this crap?"

Piggot shrugged helplessly before giving Taylor a long, calculating look.

"What if I told you I could get her bird-caged?"

One of Taylor's eyebrows rose.

"Birdcaged? I'd say tell me more."

Piggot withdrew a sheaf paper from a folder and slid it over to the other woman.

"If you sign up for the protectorate, and agree to a production of your weaponry, not only will we pay you obscene amounts of money, we would cage Sophia, and assist in the prosecution of Emma, Sophia, and the staff of Winslow. You would even have free rain as a Protectorate affiliate, and could assist on patrols if you so desired. The possibilities for someone with your talents are endless, so, what do you say?"

Taylor grasped the slim paper and brought it up to read, her disbelief and then amusement growing apparent as she read through the contract.

"I'd say tell me more."

 _End_

Last fallout chapter. I figure this would actually be a semi-believable reaction, not only because Sophia done f-d up, but having someone who can make shoulder launching nukes, let alone if they can make some the more crazy weapons from fallout like the Orbital lasers from Poseidon, the Securitrons, or the big nukes from lonely road, or even the power armor, especially since they would hopefully be able to be reproduced by normal people.

Next chapter is the **_300_** _, because this. Is._ ** _Sparta!_**


	12. Chapter 12

_Idea_

So, hands for who's watched the 300 movie? Not that trashy and disgusting sequal, but the original trashy, gore filled movie.

The idea I got was for a a Taylor that could make projections of the 300, each one Brute 3 Mover 2. (To account for the frankly stupid super human leaps during the movie) Imagine that, 300 Parahuman Spartans. I might just have squeed a little.

Taylor herself is Breaker 5 effectual, her breaker state giver her the following ratings.

Brute 3 (Same as her Spartans, immune to small arms fire and peak human)

Mover 2 (accounts for peak human abilities plus cinematic leaps of faith)

Thinker 4 (Swiftly analyses tactual situations and the best ways to use her projections, not even close to Tattletales level, and very focused, but still strong)

She can still use her Master ability while not in her Breaker state, but since it gives her a Thinker rating as well as makes her less squishy, she almost never does.

Master 9 (Summons the 300 as fully independent mastered projections, not quite free will, sentient, level, more a bunch of super advanced A.I.)

Also, I decided to go with the name Sparta as both hero and the name of the chapter because its short, descriptive, and to the point, and I still hate it. But it was either that, Leonidas which is a dudes name, or Spartan which is a singular for Taylors soldiers. So I ended picking that instead.

 _Sparta_

Amy Dallon sighed as the Undersiders began robbing the bank, she wasn't really a combat oriented hero, the rest of her family always having kept her back from he conflict so that the 'worlds foremost healer' wouldn't come to any harm. Amy snorted to herself. More like so New Wave wouldn't take any flack if she got hurt. She started as a hand was placed on her shoulder, she turned and saw a slim brunette shake her head and whisper,

" _Don't do anything rash Panacea, just sit and watch, help is arriving outside."_

And true to her word, just then, outside the bank, rang the sound of metal on metal, multiplied a hundred times.

 _Ka-Shang! Ka-Shang!_

And then a voice, deep, accented,

"We are the 300 of the lady Sparta! Undersiders! You have one chance to surrender! Calmly walk outside and then leave the area, this is a one time offer for you to flee with no immediate repercussions from this action! Refuse and we will storm the bank and deal with you personally!"

Amy looked at the Brunette in shock, Sparta was a new independent hero who had been making big waves recently by being perfectly willing to deal permanent damage to her opponents. But this was the first time she had heard of any 300.

The brunette just gave Amy a cheery wink as she sidled backwards, and towards a back hallway and the Undersiders began panicking.

 _Scene Break_

Lisa was trying to figure out a way, any way really to get out of this situation and Brian, or rather Grue gave her a look that conveyed exasperation, and a hint of the beginning of loathing, but was remarkably restrained as he waited for her to finish thinking. Regent on the other hand, had no issues hissing at her.

" _What. The._ ** _Hell._** You swore that this would be an easy job Tats! Look at this crap!"

He gestured harshly towards the glass doors, where dozens, if not hundreds of men dressed as Spartans, complete with Bronze breast plates, leather sandals, bronze helmets with horse hair plumes, and long spears and shields stood shoulder to shoulder.

"I did not agree to a punch out with a crap ton of guys, and maybe a chick who apparently has a couple hundred goons too!"

The Undersiders jumped as a voice casually coughed, they turned to see a 7ft tall woman blond woman standing casually between them and the hostages. She was dressed in a white toga, and silver colored Brest plate with arm and leg guards the same color, on one arm was strapped a shield, and in that hand she loosely held a helmet of the same metal with a white plume emerging from the top. In the other hand she held a long wooden spear, its head also of that same, strange silver metal. The blond woman just smiled warmly at the Undersiders.

"Hello Undersiders, I am the lady Sparta, and it is an absolute _pleasure_ to meet you all, and while I myself wouldn't mind holding a longer conversation, I think my Spartans are becoming a might bit impatient."

From outside three sharp raps of spear on shield sounded.

 _Ka-Shang! Ka-Shang! Ka-Shang!_

And then that same voice spoke again.

"300! Pledge you allegiance to Lady Sparta!"

 _Ka-Shang! Ka-Shang! Ka-Shang!_

Silence in the bank fell utterly as the Undersiders stared at the woman dumbfounded. Sparta just raised one eyebrow, the statuesque woman was about to speak when suddenly, Bitch, in her cheap rubber mask growled and stalked a few steps closer to Sparta.

"And whats stopping us from ripping you, and the rest of your men to pieces?"

One of Sparta's eyes rose and Tattletale rubbed her forehead in a fit of furious frustration.

Sparta just gave a sigh of amusement before she raised her voice to call out to her warriors outside.

" **Spartans! What is Your Profession!?"**

And from the outside, a wall of sound, of metal on metal, and the shouts of hundreds of voices in unison.

 ** _"_** ** _Huahh! Huahh! Huahh!"_**

Sparta turned back to Bitch with an inquisitively raised eyebrow.

"Now, _Bitch_ , what is _your_ profession?"

 _End_

I wanted to do a scene with the Wards and Sparta, but frankly that ending was to perfect to pass up. Anywho's, the next chapter is an obligatory healer shard, Asclepius, named after a Grecian demigod who could even return the dead to life.

Yep. Im going there.


	13. Chapter 13

_Idea_

The Grecian Demi-god hero/healer known as Asclepius, was the son of Apollo, (who is the Greek god of healing/medicine) and was taught his craft by his father, and then improved upon it, at first it was a simple healing of wounds, and a treatment of disease, but then became a replacement of severed limbs, and a healing of near death states, and then healing of the recently dead. He was eventually killed by Zeus via lightning strike for daring to encroach on the gods rights for bringing the dead back to life.

My idea for a Alt Taylor power is a Taylor that yes, can heal _any_ injury or illness (including the mental), but the power comes with a major drawback, a sort of blow back of the illness that lasts for a proportionate amount of time as related to the severity of the illness.

E.G. she heals full body, serious burns, and then suffers through full body pain for about a week. She brings back someone recently deceased, and she is laid up for a month. Heals someone with a mental illness, and depending on what it is, and the severity of it, her emotions and/or mind could be unpredictable, random, or otherwise chaotic from anywhere from a week to a month.

Only has one offensive power, while she is suffering from the blowback from healing, she can transfer it to someone else.

Also, on a side note, can someone clarify the PRT number ranking system for me? I get most of it, 6 and up requires at least one Parahuman to go with. 9 or 10 is a don't fuck with or a Triumvirate level throw down.

 _Asclepius_

Annie Constantino, 31 year old nurse, had been a Brockton Bay nurse for the past three years. The hospital was considered a neutral ground, but she had still been held up by Merchants, threatened by Hookwolf, and attacked by ABB.

She also one of the few nurses that was at ease around Othala and Panacea. Both of the healing capes were nice people while at the hospital, but there was just, something… _inhuman_ about them that gave most of the other nurses shivers.

Annie wasn't altogether sure about Othala, but could fake it while the older cape was here, Panacea on the other hand, she just felt sorry for, the young girl worked herself to exhaustion every week and refused to take time off.

Annie had seen a lot of things, but one thing she had never expected was an unmasked, 7ft tall, blond and blue eyed Grecian bombshell in a toga and sandals that had cords wrapping up her calves, in one hand was a bronze staff encrusted with two large snakes twisting around it.

The obviously Parahuman woman walked stately up to the nurses desk and spoke.

"Hello ma'm. My name is Asclepius. I am here to go heal your coma ward."

Annie blinked.

"Our… Coma ward? You can do brains?"

Asclepius nodded, her long blond locks bobbing.

"I can."

Annies mouth opened and closed for a few moments with no sound coming pit before she managed to squeeze out a,

"Oh. Well. Could you wait here while I go get a hospital administrator?"

Asclepius nodded again, and tapped her staff idly against the floor of the hospital a few times, considering, before she finally spoke again.

"Very well. If I am not mistaken, Panacea should be here, you might also ask her if there is a horrible case that she in unable to cure as I have no biomass requirements for healing."

Annie just nodded dumbly as she left at speed to go find her supervisor. She wasn't paid enough to deal with this shit.

 _Scene Break_

Amy Dallon was thoroughly confused. She had been dragged away from her usual volunteer hours, (admittedly she had poured in double the hours for the past few weeks but still) to the Coma Ward where a blond cape in a toga was standing idly by while the hospital administrators were arguing with the a number of the on duty Doctors.

But as soon as Panacea stepped into the Ward, The Cape seemed to zero in on her, her eyes widening, and then softening in pity, which confused Panacea to no end.

The doctors and administrators in a wave to watch as the regal blond Cape came within arms reach of Panacea and stopped, almost nose to nose, and then suddenly engulfed Panacea in a hug.

Panacea stiffened as warm arms wrapped around her, and the other cape whispered in her ear.

"O _h,_ you poor child. So long have you struggled. It is time to let it out."

Amy couldn't help it, the floodgates opened, and as she hugged back she began to cry, pressing her face into the older woman toga, and sobbing her heart out as _someone_ finally notice, and _someone_ finally cared.

Amy just kept sobbing as Asclepius turned to the administrators and doctors.

"I'll come back tomorrow. For now, I think I to do my best to make Amy feel better and then take her home."

The hospital staff nodded dumbly as Asclepius ushered the still crying Amy into a room, once there Asclepius sat the girl down and gently asked,

"So, why have you struggled like this for so long?"

And as Amy told her story, Asclepius' face became more and more angry as she realized just how difficult Amy had it, and how close she had been to a breakdown.

 _Scene Break_

Carol Dallon opened her door too see her adopted daughter standing next to a tall blond woman in a toga with a thunderous expression, one hand resting protectively on Amys shoulder, and the other clutching a bronze staff with two intertwined snakes.

"Mrs. Dallon? We need to have a long conversation about you and the rest of your families conduct."

 _Authors Note_

Thought about ending it here, but I really wanted to show at least a little bit of the ultimate arse reaming going towards Victoria, Mark, and Carol, not to mention the rest of the family.

 _Scene Break_

Sara Dallon, also known as the Lady Photon, and somewhat jokingly Photon Mom opened the door to her sisters house and then was promptly hit by a wall of sound.

"AND IF YOU THINK THAT ANY OF THIS IS AMYS FAULT I WILL SHOVE MY STAFF SO FAR UP YOUR ASS THE SNAKES WILL POP OUT YER THOAT!"

Sara blinked as she walked farther into her sister home to look at a scene that she was most certainly not expecting, a short blond woman in a toga, apparently the one who had just been screaming was breathing heavily in the direction of her sister Carol, Carols husband Mark, and their elder daughter Victoria.

Sara blinked again as what she guessed was a cape whirled to face her, nodded once, and pointed at a seat next to her sister.

"Take a seat Mrs. Pelham. We need have a discussion of you and the rest of your families frankly deplorable treatment of Amy."

One of Sara's eyebrows rose but she did as she was told.

"What do you mean deplorable?"

The other woman's face look liked it had just been slapped.

"You're **_kidding_** me right?"

She stabbed one finger at Mark.

"A practically useless father figure who refuses to take the medication that would keep him depressed, granted mental illness is serious, but with the support system he _should_ have in place he should have daily reminders to take it!"

The finger then moved to point at Victoria.

"The only family member who actually invests time and effort into being a decent human being towards her, but in the process because of absolutely **shitty** control of her powers she's basically brainwashed a vulnerable young woman, who considers her family, and during her puberty into feeling sexual and romantic desire!"

Victoria shot up and was about to open her mouth when the still furious woman overode her.

" _NO!_ You do **not** get to talk right now! You've had almost 6 years to figure this crap out and control your powers! Now its **_my_** turn! And if that means I get the PRT involved for Amys sake, _SO BE IT_ **!** "

Victoria flopped back into her seat with a stunned expression as the furious blond woman turned to Carol who just sneered.

"You were supposed to be Amys mother. Right after she told me she was adopted I figured It out, and really? You break the crap out of the unwritten rules, and then you don't think to check for children? And then once that child triggers, you drive them _into the_ ** _ground_** with guilt and work."

She held up one hand briefly to forestall any objections from Carol.

"Look, I _know_ you've had some crappy un ins with the Marquis. But thats no excuse for continuing to take it out on his daughter more then 10 years later."

And then finally she turned to Sarah with a look of loathing on her face.

"And _you._ You've done absolutely Jack-shit. Despite knowing exactly how bad Amy has it, and how much she's working, you never stepped in."

She shook her head.

"You, quite frankly are the worst kind of person. You talk a good game, but soon as crap starts hitting near home, you pack it up and leave."

The young woman in the toga slammed a bronze staff, adorned with twining snakes against the ground, a staff that Sara, with a start, realized hadn't been in her hand a second before.

"By my name as Asclepius, I am not leaving until either you all have figured out your _shit,_ or I call the PRT and social services and get Amy to leave with me."

Asclepius glared at the assembled caped with a look that _dared_ them to protest.

 _End_

Done! In the end I sort of added a secondary power where Asclepius Taylor can view injuries and illness. Also as a note, Mental Illness is serious crap, and real life doesn't have magical cures.

The story line I sort of imagined for this is that she could heal case 53's, and the mental impetus for violence in capes, as well as an actual relationship with Amy, healer to healer.

Next chapter is something that popped into my head and seemed like it might be doable, but thoroughly magical Bullshit.

 _Next Chapter- Baba Yaga_ _(and No, not John Wick)_


	14. Chapter 14

_Idea_

I dont know why this was sticking in my head so much, but does anyone know about Baba Yaga? Baba in most slavic languages is a term for older, and respected woman, usually a term for a grandmother. Yaga is usually spelled and pronounced ad Jaga many similar Slavic languages.

When I was thinking about the powers that Baba Yaga is reported to have, and has been depicted to have, I came down to a few different power schemes.

The first power that would be incumbent in each one is a breaker form that makes Taylor look like Baba Yaga, and give a resistance to

Power scheme 1. Master, mover based powers. Baba Yaga was depicted to have four supernatural knights based on the seasons under her command, a secondary power would be her mortar and pestle.

Power scheme 2. Pryokinsesis and general Tk, plus shaker/master power with bird legged hut.

Power scheme 3. A magical 'gifting' where Baba Yaga can imbue common object that could help others with specific goals, plus either the chicken hut or mortar and pestle mover powers.

Each one of these could be a viable and interesting power option.

However. I already stated this chapter was gonna be some magical bullshit. And as such, Baba Yaga be getting _everything_. (Except for the mastery/summon knights powers.)

 _Baba Yaga_

Rune blinked and then looked at Hookwolf who shrugged. Then Rune looked at Night and Fog, who just stood there, staring, in what Rune thought might be… _fear_. And for the merciless assassins of Gesselchaft? That was more then a little alarming.

Rune turned as a trio of vans pulled up and the rest of the empires capes stepped out of their cars, even Purity had showed up for some reason. Rune supposed Kaiser had promised something to the powerful Blaster something.

Kaiser looked at what had caught his capes attentions.

It was a old, but well put together wooden hut with an attached porch with an overhang to protect it from the wind. On the Porch was a solitary rocking chair that moving in the slight wind coming off the nearby water.

With a shake of the head, Kaiser motioned for the Capes of the empire to remain behind as he approached the home of the woman who had single handedly claimed and defended the docks for the past month, roasting alive ABB, Empire, and PRT troopers who had all come to her door without proper respect.

She was a cape who had embraced the role of Baba Yaga. Or, as some of the more suspicious members of the empire were claiming, she _was_ Baba Yaga.

The Iron-teethed witch of the forest.

And he was here to see if an arrangement could be made.

Kaiser walked forward and just as he was about to knock on the door it opened with a long creak, and a voice, smooth like a razor blade, but weathered and dry like bones in a desert wafted out from the darkened hut.

"Well little king, are you going to stand there, or are you going to come inside?"

Kaiser took a deep breath and stepped inside the darkened hut, and then blinked. Objectively he knew he shouldn't be feeling afraid, the decorations were the type of thing that you'd see in a crappy haunted house, with jars of colored liquids with strange things floating inside. Garlands of of herbs and other plants hanging from the ceiling.

In the middle of the room, a pot, hanging over a fire backlit a hunched figure with graying hair tied into a loose bun. The figure turned and Kaiser winced.

In front of the fire was someone who at first looked like a kindly old grandmother, but then Max noticed the old woman's eyes. Eyes that were like inky pools, and that glinted brightly like chips of ebony in the reflected light off the fire.

But what made Max Anders want to whimper was Baba Yaga's smile. It glinted and glowed in the firelight, showcasing the cold iron teeth that the old woman had.

Baba Yaga cackled, high and long, before finally fixing Kaiser with amused stare.

"So little king. What have you brought me?"

Kaiser slowly and cautiously reached to his waist and withdrew a small wrapped cloth of various spices before walking forward and gently holding it out for the old woman to take. He shuddered as fingers like ice briefly clasped his hand before withdrawing with his gift.

The old witch began digging through the different packets, sometimes taking a pinch here and there to taste and making sounds of approval. As she turned back to her pot she grunted at Max.

"So. What do you want?"

Kaiser breathed a sigh of relief as he realize he wasn't about to roasted alive and cleared his throat briefly before speaking.

"Baba Yaga, as I am sure someone of you inestimable intelligence knows, I am the head of the noble Empire 88."

Baba Yaga scoffed as she adde a dash of the spices he had just given her into her boiling pot. Max waited to see if she was going to say anything else, but the old crone just took a sip from her pot, before spitting it back it in and making a sound of disgust, Max shrugged mentally and continued.

"The Empire, which is also the strongest Parahuman organization in the city, and thereby in the state, wishes to extend a hand of friendship and cooperation with you. We can offer much in the way of support, both financial and military."

Kaiser continued to wax on rhapsodically about the benefit of joining the empire, but then Baba Yaga held up a hand a one wrinkled hand, the other wrapped around the wooden ladle stirring the pot.

"What do want, little king? What is your ultimate goal?"

Kaiser paused, and thought about his response.

"My goal, it is to use the Empire as a sword to cut down any of the lesser races or race traitors who would oppose me."

Kaiser winced at the wide grin that showed off Iron teeth.

"And do you believe in the Empires ideology?"

Kaisers eyes widened, and then narrowed as he glared at the witch as his mouth ran on auto-pilot.

"I do not, but I will manipulate it in order to fuel my own interests."

Baba Yaga smirked, and cackled low in her throat, her teeth making metallic ringing sounds as the clanged together.

" _Ahhh…_ Now we're getting to the meat of the matter."

Baba Yaga withdrew her long spoon from the pot, and dangling from the end was a long string of red and grey nerves that led to a with withered eyeball. Baba Yaga popped it into her mouth, and with sound of great enjoyment, bit down, so that the eyeball audibly popped, leaving one trail of juice to trail down the side of the old witches jaw.

Kaiser gagged behind his helmet as the old crone slurped up the rest of the eyeball and swallowed before speaking again, her voice satisfied, like the cat that had just killed the canary.

"What if I told you, I could give you a gift, a gift that help you achieve your goals, that would help you bring the empire to the forefront of the world? And all you would have to do, is give me one, _little_ thing."

Kaiser swallowed as the ebony eyes of the witch drilled into him, her worm like lips spread in a gruesome smile highlighting her iron teeth.

 _Scene Break_

Rune watched curiously as Kaiser tucked a gold pendant into his shirt and then take a step of of the porch and bowed to the open door which slammed shut.

Kaiser turned and walked back towards the vans where the rest of the Empire Capes were waiting. He ignored the questions and comments and silently got into the back of one of the cars. Rune turned to the others, most notably Purity, who all to one degree or another shrugged before getting into their cars. Rune got into her own vehicle, and as it began to pull away she looked back, just in time to see the shack _stand up_ , on a pair of **chicken legs** and **_walk away,_**

Rune turned, and resolutely stared forward for the rest of the drive.

 _End_

Dont know why, but this idea had been sticking in my head for a while. Next Chapter is _Doctor Jekyl and Mr Hyde._


	15. Chapter 15

Dont know why, but this idea had been sticking in my head for a while. Next Chapter is Doctor Jekyl and Mr Hyde.

Idea so here we go, A Taylor with a Bio-tinker, Breaker/Changer power ratings, Basing most the powers off of 'Jekyll' Television show, (On iTunes and Youtube if your curious)

Tinker 6: Can create tinctures, (God thats a stupid word) that can amp Normals into having a significant Brute rating, of course very little or no control over themselves while they are amped, as well as the fact that they're addictive.

Breaker 5: using the Hyde special, can transform into a Dr. Hyde, I say Dr. Because other then the chemical tinker, she has no other medical skills, Dr. Hyde on the other hand… Well, lets just say he knows how to disappear a body _and_ how to put one back together again.

Brute 5(Like in Jekyll): Going of the old show 'Hyde', (On iTunes if your curious) for most of Hyde Heberts' physical abilities. Can lift and throw a full grown lion, can climb up the side of a building, while Hyde nearby electronics will fritz like its a brown out. Not technically fast enough to dodge bullets but is able to see the tensing of muscles and eye twitching and track the trajectory of the barrel which leads to the next category.

Thinker 4: (When Hyde) No _real_ enhanced thought, but stupidly enhanced senses, think dog level nose plus hawk level eyes and Bat level ears. (Euphimism, does not have sonar, but I couldn't think of an animal with stupidly good hearing.)

Mover 5: Can move faster then the human eye can perceive, but only in a short range fashion.

 _Miss Jekyl and Dr. Hyde_

Armsmaster cautiously approached the pharmacy, his bike running silently. The PRT hotline had received a call about a man pushing 7 ft tall in a white dress shirt and suit pants trying to rob a pharmacy.

Now, normally, that on its own wouldn't be anything to interest the Protectorate hero. But the fact that the man had then ripped a 6-inch steel security door straight off its hinges was significantly more so.

Armsmaster radioed into the console before cautiously entering the obviously wrecked store, from the back where the more controlled medications were kept he could hear a feminine cursing along with the sounds of thrown pills. As he made his way through the aisles with counters overturned and bottles of medication and other sundries strewn around a generally wrecked store and towards the back, he found an employee, alive, but unconscious, a trickle of blood coming from their mouth.

Armsmaster frowned. He had hoped to be able to talk down the unknown parahuman, but with the addition of either henchmen or hostages, and the willful assault of civilians, the kid gloves were coming off.

He stepped through the doorway and into the back of the store, and blinked.

Instead of the 7 foot, thin, and drugged out parahuman, was instead a wasted looking, just under 6ft tall, skinny as a rake teenage girl, dressed in oversized clothing and muttering feverishly as she grabbed pill bottle after pill bottle, some she would slip into a small bag she was carrying over her shoulder, the rest she would just toss away angrily, the multicolored pills spilling as the plastic containers shattered, or the lids broke off.

Armsmaster stood tall, his halberd held out in front of him, and then he cleared his throat.

The girl jumped, her shriek loud in the empty store as she whirled towards Armsmaster, one hand falling to a row of vials strapped to her waist that he hadn't noticed before.

"Hostile Parahuman, lie face down on the ground, any attempt to resist arrest or to escape will be met with hostile force."

The girls jaw dropped open, she was obviously shocked, but Armsmaster had to wonder why, she had robbed a store and beaten one of its employees. Not something that would endear her to the local protectorate.

The girl opened her mouth to speak, but groaned in pain and clutched at her side. Her long fingers scrabbled at one of the vials at her side, but just as she was going to bring the vial Armsmaster slapped it out of her hand. The girl gasped, and then drooped slowly.

Armsmaster checked her pulse and then stepped back as she began visibly changing.

Slowly at first, lengthening hair here, a crackling of bone there that slowly sped up until instead of a teenage woman, an, _ageless,_ ** _wrong_** man with a bald head, who stood up, and smiled, showing rows of white, crooked teeth, that looked like they couldn't decided wether to be canines or molars. The man smiled cheerfully held up one finger, and reached into a pocket, and withdrew a recording device and pressed the play button.

And from it, came the tinny voice of what the hero assumed to be the teen.

 _'_ _We are robbing the fifth street Pharmacy for the required medication, I have on my person 5 ampules of the number 12, if I am forced to take any you will get the standard reward, if you encounter any Protectorate_ _members use minimum necessary force in order to subdue and then retreat, I will_ ** _check_** _. And Remember, I love you Hyde. Just a while longer.'_

As the voice on the tape continued to speak, Armsmaster could see Hyde's face change. A look of eagerness at the 'standard reward', a look of of joking disgust at 'minimum necessary force', at at the 'I love you' a look of the utmost tender care. Hyde clicked off the recorder and stowed it back in his pocket, and then spoke, his voice, rich and heavy and accented with heavy London vowels and phrasing, and yet somehow _wrong._

"Armsmaster. I am Hyde. For my love I give you this one opportunity to leave this place intact. _However…"_

The smile that bloomed across Hydes face promised pain and suffering in spades.

"However, if you choose to stay, if you choose to _fight_ , I can and will break your arms, your legs, and then your back. I will leave you a cripple who cannot feed themselves, who cannot walk. Who cannot take a _shit_ without help."

Hyde spread his arms wide with a flourish.

"Now! I'll give you three goes! Give it your best shot!"

Armsmaster, cold tigers of ice clenching around his gut roared and lunged forward, his halberds taser crackling, sending fat blue sparks shooting off the metal as it sped towards the immobile Hyde.

Who suddenly wasn't there anymore.

Armsmaster staggered as he failed to make contact with his target and whirled to see Hyde smiling widely. Hyde held up one finger and waggled his eyebrows.

"Thats one! Is that the best you got Halbeard?"

Armsaster snarled and lunged again, ignoring the tremors of nervousness that were making their way through his body.

The thoughts of, _can I beat him? Am I really going to lose? Is he going to follow through with his threats?_

And then the hero missed for the second time.

Again, Armsmaster whirled to see Hyde, this time making a _tsking_ motion with one finger. Hyde grinned widely and skipped closer as the hero recovered.

"Thats two!" Hyde, with a bow and a flourish pointed towards the broken down pharmacy door. "Remember! You can still leave, but if you take that last go…." Hyde shrugged and rolled his neck, the vertebra cracking loudly in the near silence of the ruined store.

"Well, then Halbeard, I get to have my _f-unnnnn!"_

Armsmaster, _no,_ **_Collen_** , took in a deep, calming breath as Hyde continued talking.

"… And after Ive dealt with you, Ill wait for the Protecteoate to send another hero, _oooh_ , I hope its Miss Milita, Taylor does deserve a girlfriend, and of course if she's mean to my darling I can just eat roast her alive after all…"

While Hyde was mid speech, Collen _lunged_ , and missed for the third and final time.

Then he turned, and almost screamed as Hyde's smiling face was mere inches from his own.

And as the first blow connected, Collen had to wonder,

 _'_ _Just_ ** _what_** _was the creature known as Hyde, and what relationship did it have with the girl?'_

 _End_

There we go! Jekyl and Hyde chapter done! As always, please tell me how I did, even if I didn't do well, tell me what you'd like to see more of, _tell me all the things!_

Next chapter is,

 _I'll make them offer they cant refuse_ (Yes its _exactly_ the movie your thinking of.)


	16. Chapter 16

_Idea_

This is another thing that runs closer to my ideal of a rouge, but first, hands up if you've seen the movie _'the godfather'_ Part one of course, not any of the sequels. Sorry for the fans of two and three, but one is the best by far in that glorious saga of crime, drugs, and murder. And while I have no hope of equaling the gloriousness that is the Godfather saga, this is my own personal take on a Taylor who is a little more, _family oriented_.

(She triggered after realizing Shadow Stalker was a Ward, not the locker)

 _I'll make you an offer you can't refuse_

Armsmaster and Miss Milita walked beside Emily Piggot as she made her way to the rendezvous that had bad set up, by prior agreement between themselves and the Family in a local bar that was reserved for the event.

The Family were a gang of old style mafia, complete with an honor system.

Just over six months ago, they had taken over the docks, rousting the Merchants though the virtue of over a hundred men immune to small arms fire and who, according to reports at least, had infinite ammunition. And, not as in, _'oh my gosh, they have so much ammo, is it ever going to end!?'_ Instead, it was more they never, _ever_ , had to reload. So when almost a dozen foot soldiers are somehow able to continuously fire a grenade launcher without reloading? Gang members, even those supported by Parahuman powers, are usually outmatched.

The Suit and tie wearing family had then rapidly spread across the Docks, evicting any Gang members and rapidly setting themselves up as a third, and more reasonable alternative to the Empire and the ABB, and throughout the subsequent turmoil, they had been resolute, taking on all comers, and at the helm was a mysterious figure referred to only as,

'The Godfather.'

It had sent the other directors into nervous fits as flashbacks to Teacher sent waves throughout the PRT and the Protectorate. But what a leader he had been, through every major event in Brockton Bay.

Lungs capture and Bakuda's subsequent rampage, countered through massive patrols of armed and empowered Family members, firing at anyone who approached their territory with a weapon, and when Bakuda started sending in suicide bombers without weapons, they had cleared the streets and then shot anyone with coming down the streets with high-powered rifles. To help the people stuck inside, they had even delivered groceries door to door.

When the Empire had been exposed, well, when the PRT had called for assistance, the family had replied in spades, assassinations, a few mass killings, and what a most terrifying, and awe inspiring bombing of exactly half of every Empire affiliated facility. The remainders of the organization had crumpled, and the only Empire cape left in the city was Purity, who had a mutual understanding with the Family that basically boiled down to,

 _'_ _If we even think you've used your powers for anything other then self defense, we'll level a city block to kill you if thats what it takes.'_

And even Leviathans assault, a full 50 family, armed with RPG's reported for duty. Of course they were relegated to search and rescue, but the fact that a local gang somehow manage to secure that many pieces of military equipment, well.

Piggot sighed and composed herself as she came in sight of the meeting area, standing in front of the door were two trench-coated and fedora clad members of the family. They didn't look armed, but Emily, despite not having been a field officer for almost ten years, still had her instincts, and she could see the ominous bulges underneath the mens jacket.

They gave Emily and the heroes sneers as they entered the bar.

The bar was what one expected from a dingy, hole in the wall that had managed to cling to life during the decline of Brockton Bay, it was a single, large room with a half dozen table pushed to one side of the room, booths on the other, and a large bar with dozens, if not not hundreds of glass bottles of different shapes stacked in rows upon rows.

But what drew Emily and the Protectorate members attention were the dozen gun toting men lounging on bars, sitting in booths, or just standing loosely, but they were all angled towards the door, and in a position where they could hose it with bullets. And in the center, a thickset man sat with fingers interlaced behind a small table.

Piggot sat in the chair opposite, and the Protectorate capes stood behind their director.

The man nodded to Emily.

"Miss Director. After a six month long smear campaign, what can mi' familia do for you?"

The mans vowels blended together with a foreign accent that Emily couldn't identify, he nodded briefly at a teenage girl wearing a black vest, white dress shirt, and black slacks and dress shoes as she placed a drink on the table and slide it towards him. The teen gave a nod back before retreating behind the bar.

Piggot snorted to herself. Even the bar staff were security, the tinker-tech earpiece gave it away, and Piggot was sure that there would be heavy arms if she looked behind the bar. The director pointedly ignored the heavily armed men dotted around the bar and leaned forward, across the table towards the man who she assumed was the Godfather.

"Its quite simple, because of your admittedly civil minded, and defensive oriented actions. The PRT and the Protectorate want to draft you and your family as PRT auxiliaries."

The only reaction the man sitting across the table gave was a raised eyebrow as Piggot continued her pitch.

"If you agree to become auxiliaries you will come under the auspices of the PRT and the Protectorate, you will be payed standard wages as well as other benefits such as health insurance."

Emily did her best to smile warmly as she narrowed in on what would be the main selling point.

"And whats more, you and your men would be able to call on the full force of the Protectorate in order to continue to do what you do best, protect Brockton Bay."

The Godfather stroked his chin in thought as he replied.

"So, I imagine if I said no, that very same full force would come aimed against us instead?"

Emily remained silent, her smile becoming a little fixed as the same teen from behind the bar came back, and tapped the Godfather twice on the shoulder. He turned, nodded, and stood up.

The teen sat down, and with a cold expression spoke.

"Hello Director, I don't know if you remember me, but my name is Taylor Hebert, and I am the Parahuman known as the godfather."

 _Taylor Hebert? Oh. Oh…._ ** _Oh._** _Oh_ ** _shit._**

Emily swore mentally.

That wasn't good.

Taylor Hebert, triggered by Shadow Stalker in her civilian identity, a high school girl who had utterly disappeared despite her fathers and the PRT's efforts to find her.

So what. _In. The._ ** _Hell._** Is she doing here? Wait. ' _I am the parahuman known as the Godfather.'_

Crap.

Piggot felt the smile on her face start to burn like acid.

"Well, I can't say its nice to see that your alright Miss Hebert, but what are you doing serving drinks in a bar run by the family?"

Taylor lifted one eyebrow in a motion that made want to beat the teen over the head with some common sense.

"Well, considering I founded and command the family I can be in any place Family owned or operated that I damn well choose."

Piggot held up one hand in semi-protest.

"Thats not what I meant-"

Hebert slammed a fist on the wooden table.

"Its not what you _mean_ , its what you _say_ that counts!"

Nostrils flaring Hebert swept a hand over the bar.

"My men and I have been ensuring the safety and security of Brockton while at the same time cleaning up the failures and the destruction caused by the heroes and villains! We have _single-handedly_ insured that civilians are able to continue living in the shit hole that the PRT have let the city become!"

Piggot hid a grimace, this was exactly the type of cape she hated dealing with. Arrogant, proud, and absolutely fanatical. But she persevered, the Family were a organization hundreds strong with access to military hard-ware. Piggot wouldn't be able to look at herself in the mirror if she couldn't manage to get a _teenager_ of all people to agree to, at the very least, neutrality, especially now the every other organization in the city other then the Family and the PRT were either destroyed or neutered of any offensive capability. So, with a face like stone, Piggot posed a question.

"So, is that your final answer then?"

Hebert sneered, her disgust obvious.

Taylor Hebert leaned closer and made a come hither gesture with one finger. Piggot rolled her eyes but obliged the teen and teen in with in arms reach.

 ** _CRACK!_**

The resounding crack of the clap impacting on the Directors face was thunderous in the silence, and then the sound of Milita and Armsmaster bringing their weapons to bear, and then the ripple of metallic of clacks as every Family member in the bar brought up a weapon, varying from a small pistol, to fully automatic rifles, and in one case some sort of single shot pistol on steroids.

Hebert just ignored the weapons being aimed around her to stare at the Director of the PRT.

"You had the balls to come into _my_ place of business and demand that I hand over my _Familia_ to you, and then the utter _audacity_ to threaten me and act like you were doing me a favor. And this is after a six month smear campaign in the wake of my trigger, which was caused by one of _your_ Wards! So no, I wont be joining you. Not now or ever."

Hebert snapped her fingers in a mocking _eureka_ gesture.

"In fact, I'll give you and the rest of you spandex clad arse-holes an offer you cant refuse."

The Parahuman known as the Godfather stood.

"You, the Protectorate, and anyone who works for the PRT in a capacity has 48 hours to evacuate the city before the Family goes to war. Good luck."

And then Taylor Hebert, Parahuman, leader of the biggest gang in Brockton bay left.

 _Scene Break_

Emily Piggot was back in her office, a crystal decanter of whiskey on the desk in front of her. She was seriously considering draining it.

 _'_ _Shit, that was a cluster.'_

 _End_

Taylor Hebert-Godfather

Thinker 5 (See emotional stresses and gifted strategist)

Shaker 9 (Can imbue immunity to small arms fire, plus a 'cartoon' infinite ammo effect)

Next chapter _Lich_


	17. Chapter 17

_Idea_

So the idea for this was based of the concept of Taylor _actually_ dying in her locker, sort of what happens in 'Queen of Blood'. And since a vampire was already done, that set me on the path for other ideas, and I have to admit, the one that stood out the most was a Lich Taylor, a magical girl Lich Taylor. AKA the ANTI MYRRDIN!

(Cue dramatic music and thunder!)

I'm sort of loosely basing the undead Taylors power progression on Nagash from the Warhammer novels detailing his rise, how he slowly goes from vampire-esque, to mummified corpse to fragile skeleton, to almighty armored lich.

Also, sort of experimenting with a different writing style for this chapter that might or might not work, so do, please tell me how it works, if it ends up failing Ill re-write so its actually a palatable chapter.

 _Lich_

'Hello, my name is Taylor Hebert, or rather, I suppose _now_ its Lich.'

'Oh? You already knew that? Well. I'm not sure what you want me to say then. You have an issue with my voice? My apologies if it alarms you, but after my vocal cords decayed I'm afraid that telepathy was the only method of communication I had left. Im afraid your stuck with my voice.'

'Hmm? _Ohh_ … So you heard about my habit of answering questions as a sort of last request, keep in mind that I wont answer questions about any weaknesses that I have, mostly because I haven't actually _discovered any_ … But the point remains. With that said, what would you like to know? Keep in mind you _are bleeding out_ at a rather fast pace, I estimate you have maybe 10 minutes.'

'My trigger? That seems to be a very _popular_ question. I wonder why? Oh very well, My trigger occurred just over a year and a half ago…"

 _Scene Break_

Taylor Hebert _screamed_ as metal _cut_ into her, as she _bled,_ as she _died_.

In some, dark, cold part of her mind, Taylor had to wonder just _how_ her locker had this many damn spiky metal bits sharp enough to actually cut into her.

But that part of her mind was overwhelmed by the **painpainpainpainpanicpainpanicpain**.

And over all of that?

 **HATE** **HATEHATE**

 _ **HATE**_

Hate for her tormentors, hate for every teacher and student who just stood by, and hate for her father for being so **_weak_**.

The last thing Taylor Hebert felt as she died was overwhelming, all encompassing and all consuming

 ** _HATE_**

 _Scene Break_

Taylor Hebert gasped as awoke. Her fingers clawing at wood.

 _'wood? Why wood? Wasn't she still in the locker?'_

Taylor was about to crow with success as her fingers managed to break through the tough wood, but then she gagged as dirt began pouring in, but Taylor persevered, she **dug.** She **tore** through the dirt as her flesh began tearing until she finally breached the surface and gasped.

She felt a single droplet of rain hit her shoulder, and then more, and more rain until a veritable deluge was pouring down as Taylor began laughing.

Until she finally opened her eyes and looked down at her hands. Her hands with corpse grey flesh, riddled with insects, yellow-white bone peeking out here and there.

And then Taylor **_screamed_**.

 _End_

Short one. I'm thinking about doing another couple chapters of this just to round it out and so I can actually show some power use as well as the slow change of Taylors corpse like state into something much more powerful.

Tentative power ratings.

Brute 4: Undead, no pain receptors and no exhaustion so it becomes max effort all the time with now exhaustion or pain.

Thinker 4: Undead, except in the cases of Winslow and her father (at least for the moment) she can think incredibly clearly and without emotional bias, and even when it comes to those things, while easily angered she becomes hyper focused. Also has secondary 'life force' detection ability.

Blaster 4: Has limited magical blasts, can punch a hole in concrete, but are relatively slow

Shaker 2: Can detect life force through walls, can be more distracting then useful, perceives these sources as sparks that vary in size an intensity from species to species and individual to individual. (Armsmsater will have a bigger spark then Gladly.)

Also, hate Fanfictions formatting.


	18. Chapter 18

_Lich Part 2_

Taylor stared at dancing headlines on the old newspapers in front of her.

 ** _Bullied Teen dies in attack by fellow teens!_**

 ** _Ward Unmasks themselves in rescue attempt!_**

 ** _Was a Ward one of the bullies?_**

 ** _PRT refusing to investigate or prosecute Ward Conduct!_**

 ** _Sophia Hess killer?_**

 ** _Bullies of Locker victim get off scot-free!_**

 ** _Wards, Protectorate, and PRT all stand behind Sophia Hess_**

Taylor had to admit, she hated the fact that her tormentors got off free, but that last headline oooh, she might have despised the man, but he was still family. That the PRT were behind the cover up and exoneration of her, well, her killers. To be honest she wasn't totally sure wether or not she was _actually dead_ were the only things distracting her from the last headline.

 ** _Father of Locker victim commits suicide_**

Her father was dead.

She was alone.

Taylor Anne Hebert. Was. _Alone._

Her killers had escaped justice and she was **alone**.

Taylor couldn't keep the manic laughter from bubbling up and out her ruined throat, the sound grotesque and rasping, a sickening symphony of gargling, raspy moans that reminded Taylor of when she had been by her Grandma's bedside when she died. The sound of the old woman dying of pneumonia was the only thing that reminded of the sound she was making now.

Taylors laughter turned to sobs, sickening, wet, low, monstrously raspy things that made her cry even more.

 _Scene Break_

Aegis looked up as he waved at the PRT officers on duty as he and Kid Win left for patrol duty, and then stopped as the doors blew in, the tour group that had just finished their tour screamed as they were showered by concrete and glass, and in the aftermath in strode a walking corpse.

Aegis shielded his eyes as the concrete showered the lobby, some of the splinters sticking into his costume.

Aegis took down his arm and then had to surprise a gag reflex that threatened to overtake him, the small corpse, yes corpse, was made up of ruined flesh with yellowed bone peeking out here and there, wrapped in stained rags that looked like the remains of a nice dress had walked in with a bone staff.

Where her eyes used to be, well, now were instead two flickering green flames that seemed to shift as they scanned over the lobby. The hiss that came out from between ruined lips and flesh sent shivers down the listening Wards spines, the long drawn last syllable rife with hatred.

" ** _Where. Is. Hesss?"_**

Aegis swallowed as the bone staff the feminine corpse was holding began to flicker with green light, casting lambent shadows in every corner. When Aegis didn't respond, the living corpse stepped forward and spoke again.

 ** _"_** ** _Last chance. Where. Is. HESS!?"_**

 _Scene Break_

Armaster approached from the outside of the PRT building, his armor locking down and entering a stealth mode that quieted the whinging servos of his blue and white armor.

He came just in time to hear something that hit him like a punch to the gut, Aegis, audibly shaken asking,

"Are… Are you Taylor Hebert?"

And then a voice that sounded like the rotted meat slithered and slimed through the air.

 **"** **I am… Or is it was?…"**

The rotten, gargling voice sounded almost confused for a brief moments before it returned stronger, and _dripping_ with hate.

 **"** **Has she killed so many that you cannot tell? Now. Last chance, where is Hess?"**

Armsmaster lunged out from behind a portion and swung his halberd for Hebert, its taser function sending crackling electricity to the blunted blade that would be non-lethal when it hit, but unless Hebert turned out to be a Brute high on the scale, she would still be down.

Not doing her any harm was the very least he owed the girl.

But the walking corpse figure seemed to _feel_ the silent strike coming and merely held up a single hand to block the strike, and with a _whap_ of metal hitting meat and bone, the halberd stopped dead, still spitting fat white sparks of electricity.

Armaster suppressed his bodies gag reflex and bone audibly grinded against bone and Hebert's ruined face turned to regard him.

 **"** **So, even now you protect her? After she** ** _killed_** **me?"**

Hebert seemed to crumple in on herself, and then she began fading away, before finally disappearing like the running ink of a newspaper.

 _Scene Break_

Taylor looked over the warehouse that she had decided to set up shop in. The huge size would be needed, for her to be able to go hand to hand with the heroes, she needed her body to be tougher, and since workouts wouldn't really work anymore, artificial improvement and better gear would have to do.

Taylor let her senses expand and contract like a heartbeat, growing until they encompassed the Warehouse and almost a mile in every direction.

 _'_ ** _Yes, this will do quite nicely_** _'_

The forges would soon be operational, and when they were, Taylor would be unstoppable, and she would have her revenge on those **_hated_** heroes.

 _End_

Well. That turned out to be a little longer then I expected. But, Lich chapter done, might not do another one but I still kinda want to write what shed look like in full armor, but oh well.

Power ratings for Taylor now, are as follows,

Blaster 6: Gained a larger variety of 'spells', and has gotten used to the physical casting of them.

Thinker/Shaker 4: Still has the ability to see sparks as life force. (Can see them through walls and other obstacles)

Brute 6: As the 'magic' sinks into Taylors body more and more, it will become tougher and tougher until it takes a Triumvirate tier power of a physical type to deal damage to her.

Tinker 4: (Going to improve rapidly) Taylor right now is limited to her crappy staff as far as tinker gear, but once she gets her forge set up, and a steady supply of materials she will be able to smelt 'warpstone' to make her 5 master pieces that essentially confer plus threes for her in, Brute and blaster.

The _real_ staff.

The Crown.

Full armor.

The Ring.

And the Book.

Now, two things, I think I'm done with lich unless I really feel the need for the third chapter, and a cookie for who can guess what the next chapter is from.

 _Next Chapter: Taylor the Grey_


	19. Chapter 19

Idea: Taylor triggers with Gandalf the Gray's voice and powers. Of course, bull wizard powers are not really defined terribly well, so with a couple of the more obvious parts from the movies, I am focusing on Gandalf's observable powers from the games instead.

Thinker 6: Taylor has a millions of years old wizard in her head, who has dabbled in what is likely to be hundreds of different disciplines including masterful sword fighting.

Blaster 7: Gandalf has been shown throwing fireballs and blasts of lighting, but the thing that I like the most is the blast of force ability that Gandalf gets in the video games.

Brute 1 or 2: Gandalf canonically wasn't ever really shown as _super_ strong, he just was always right alongside the just as fit, strong, and fast members of the fellowship. (With the notable exception of going toe to toe with the Balrog)

Master/Thinker 4: Sorry, but Gandalf always has a habit of convincing people of things that they would never otherwise do, Bilbo joining the fellowship, and Thorin allowing Bilbo to do so, and the weird giant shadow move that Gandalf pulled in the first movie.

 _Taylor the Gray_

Lung was in the middle of a speech to his men when he heard a cough behind him, he turned, and perched onto of a nearby overturned trashcan, a teenager sat puffing on a grey pipe, their eyes obscured by the large floppy grey hat they were wearing. A staff mad of a strange, almost plastic like grey wood was leaning against one idly kicking leg.

"Who the hell are you?"

Lung growled, low in his throat, angry that anyone would dare interrupt the dragon, but admittedly a little cautious since the unknown individual was facing him without flinching, but the teen just waved a hand and blew a, a _cube_ of smoke? The voice that came after, while roughened by smoke, was still easily recognizable as a young female teenager.

"Don't mind me Lung-sama, but all the same, I am merely hear as a observer, not as any sort of active participant."

Lung growled again, his arms getting a scaled sheen, and his fingers sprouting the beginnings of talons.

"And if I decide to _make_ you one?"

The shadows behind the teen abruptly lengthened and a feeling of absolute chill flashed over the gang members in a wave of unease, but the teen just blew another strange smokey shape, before calmly picking up her staff.

"Well, then I would have to reduce everything below your neck to its composite atoms."

Lung jerked backwards as the tip of the staff seemed to drift in his direction, before calmly tracing a figure eight in the air. The Dragon watched, almost entranced, as it traced invisible patterns in the air.

Suddenly Lung's head jerked up, and he got a glimpse of a tail, the dragon snarled and looked back at the teen and paused, the teen in the grey dress and hat had disappeared without a trace.

 _End_

Done-zo, next chapter will be a departure from the norm, and we will have a more secondary character jump into main worm canon.

 _Sleep Walking_


	20. Chapter 20

Sleep walking

Chapter one

Nikolai Andoyovich, Nik to his friends, (or at least he would have been if he had any) awoke slowly, he swung his feet out of bed and onto the hardwood floor of his cabin and yawned. He dressed in the fresh, clean clothing that he knew would be in his dresser, and went to his small kitchen to eat the sandwich that he knew would be there, and then went outside to sit on the rocking chair and read the book he knew would be sitting next to it.

But as Nikolai stepped out onto his porch, his eyes narrowed as an old, and rather unexpected feeling that he hadn't felt since he triggered welled up inside him.

He was _bored_.

There was only one situation that Nikolai could think of to remedy this situation.

Time for a **vacation**.

Mind made up, he stood, went back inside, grabbed his wallet, a backpack he put a few of his favorite books in and left his cabin, shutting of the lights behind him, and locking the door.

 _Scene Break_

Chief Director Costa Brown stared at the email in front of her, and the looked back up towards Dragon's onscreen avatar.

"Is… Is this _true?"_

Dragon nodded, her face wracked with nerves.

The report in front of the Chief Director was a simple timeline that lead up to arguably one of the biggest threats on the planet _disappearing_.

Dragon looked at the chief director questioningly,

"What do you plan on doing?"

The Chief Director rubbed her temples furiously.

"I will ask Alexandria and Eidolon to investigate the cabin and see if there is anything that might point where he's going. Hopefully they'll be able to find something so we can send out some advanced warning."

 _Scene Break_

Nikolai smiled at the woman behind the counter of the airlines kiosk who gave him a practiced smile in return, but it was a smile that hid exhaustion, and resignation.

"How may I help you sir?"

"One ticket to Boston please, and do you know if I can get another ticket here, or do I need to get it once I am inside the United States?."

The woman's smile became a little fixed, but she still replied.

"You can get the ticket for Boston to wherever else you'd like to go here sir."

Nikolai smiled.

"In that case please get me two tickets, one to Boston, and one to Brockton Bay."

A few minutes later, as the woman placed the tickets in his hand, Nikolai _reached_ out and took her exhaustion, her resignation, and gave her the determination of a man from the village close to his home.

The woman smiled and waved the odd man goodbye, suddenly feeling much better about her lot in life.

 _Scene Break_

Alexandria and Eidolon warily alighted on the ground, just in front of the front step of the Cabin, It had been a long flight, even though they had doored directly to the outskirts of the forest, the distance from the outskirts to the Cabin seemed to be stretched out, however, anytime they turned to leave, they were out of the forest in mere minutes.

Alexandria opened the door and was shifted aside as Eidolon moved into the cabin, the heroes beginning their search for any sign of where the threat they were searching for could have gone.

"Bedroom empty!"

"Bathroom empty!"

"Office empty!"

"Got something in the kitchen!"

Alexandria moved from the office where she had just finished her search to see Eidolon holding up a note.

 _'_ _got bored, going on a vacation, be back when I'm back'_

Eidolon gave Alexandria a look of intense confusion.

"Can the Sleeper even _get_ bored?"

Alexandria just shrugged, thoroughly, _throughly,_ befuddled.

 _Scene Break_

Nikolai Andoyovich, stepped out of the airport, and took in a deep breath of Boston air, with a sense of deep satisfaction.

And then stopped as someone cursed at him and roughly shouldered him out of the way.

Nikolai raised one eyebrow, it had been a **long** time since someone had acted like that towards him. He found that he didn't like it much.

So he _reached_ out, and **took** the mans mind, leaving him to collapse like a puppet with its strings cut, right into oncoming traffic.

As the bystanders clustered around fresh corpse, Sleeper walked away, whistling a familiar tune that wiggled into the minds of those who heard it, where it echoed, and repeated, over, and over.

 _Scene Break_

Accord placed his palm against the scanner of his room, the doors parted with a slight _whoosh_ that was identical to the sound from the doors from Star Trek.

 _'_ _They better be identical, I payed extra for that'_

Accord took one step inside his office and then stopped, something was _off…_ It was only because of his obsession with order that he noticed it, but one of the books in his offices was leaning on the opposite side from when he left.

And then he heard an exceedingly normal voice speak, with a slight Eastern European accent.

"Hello Mr. Accord. Are there any good places to eat nearby?"

Accord paled and swallowed. The man sitting in his chair was one of 5 singular S class threats on the planet, considered equal to Endbringers in their own way.

Sleeper, a man who could cause entire cities to be evacuated by taking a morning walk.

The average looking man was now in his personal office, past his Ambassadors, and the layers upon layers of security with no alarms sounding.

Accord swallowed again, his throat suddenly dry, his mind whirling through plan after plan that were then discarded due to lack of information. One of the things that Accord had always considered most freakish and frightening was the fact that no one had ever managed to figure out what _exactly_ the man in front of him power actually was.

 _Scene Break_

Alexandria got off her phone and turned to Eidolon.

"A man matching the sleepers description was just recorded leaving a Boston airport."

Eidolon's face twisted in shock.

"He… He made it to U.S. soil?"

Alexandria nodded and stored outside, but just about side she was going to outside, she stopped, an took another note from the inside of the door.

 _'_ _my house better be the way I left it when I come back Alexandria…'_

The Hero swallowed involuntarily and carefully placed the not on the nearby counter.


	21. Chapter 21

So, who here is a Batman fan? Or at least play Batman Arkham Knight? If you answered yes to either of those questions then you know who Garfield Lynns is, or rather who Firefly is. Depending on which one you go with, Lynns is either a pyromaniac, a failed special effects man, or a pyromaniac who gets horribly burned in a fire and then goes nut-zo.

 _Fire Bug_

Taylor shivered absently, she hiked the blanket upwards and nestled deeper into her hospital bed, her injuries after… After what had happened were by and large healed, her skin, rather then the waxwork horror show that it had been, was now porcelain white and smooth as silk.

In all honesty, Taylor could say that she was objectively more attractive after Panacea's extensive reconstructing of her body, but that wasn't had her shivering in her blankets, it was the _cold_ , _and the_ ** _screams…_**

A little over a week ago a fire had consumed her house, her father, and her life.

Sure, her heart still beat and her lungs still drew breath. But Taylor Ann Hebert felt dead inside. Taylor shook herself out of her revery. Panacea had been able to fix her physical appearance, her lungs that had been essentially boiled, and even made it so her hair could grow again. The one thing that Panacea had not been able to fix was her nerves, a hour long lecture as to why she couldn't essentially boiled down to,

Her nerves were actually fine, it was their connections to her brain that was unable to fixed.

Because of the faulty connections, much of her ability to sense the things she was physically feeling were reduced, or outright eliminated, her sense of pain, halved. Her tactile sense of hot and cold? Got in its entirety, now all she could feel was a ceaseless cold.

3\. They never caught the person who set fire too her house, but she had a suspicion as too who it was. _Oh_ did she. And she would get her revenge, a fiery, _agony_ filled revenge that would be whispered about, and be the fuel for nightmares for _decades!_

4\. And Taylor would do it with the strange, _awesome_ , and awesomely strange weapons of fiery destruction that had been frankly shoving themselves into her brain. Her priorities were three fold, first find a place to build and then the materials. First up on the build list was a first and foremost a fireproof suit with respirator to filter out the carbon-dioxide caused by her weapons, so that if she had to, she could stand right in the middle of a wildfire and not feel a thing, it would also hopefully include some sort of strength enhancer so that she could go toe to toe with some of the more strength oriented Capes, a bigass flame thrower, and to cap it off a dozen or so grenades.

That was to start, but would see be finished there? Ohh no. Taylor would create bigger, better, more destructive weapons of _cleansing_ ** _fire_** _._

She already had ideas for an explosion/implosion device…

 _Scene Break_

Taylor took a deep breath as she stripped off her mask and long rubber gloves and switched on the venting systems to full to filter out as much of the toxic smoke from the Napalm fermentation process as possible.

This was the last step. She had her suit, at the last second she had added flight capabilities in the form of a jet powered glider, and she had to admit, it just felt _right_. She also had her flame thrower, a silvery multi nozzle monstrosity that could either be used to send out great gouts of flames that would stick to and burn any surface they stuck too, or could be switched to a close range cutting flame that as far as Taylor could tell, was barely less effective at cutting through any substance on the planet as a plasma torch, and finally for that extra, _special_ surprise.

A trio of grenades, each one serving a different purpose.

First was a standard Naplam filled grenade for room clearing, second was her implosion based grenade for anything that could stand up to a standard explosion or fire, and finally was her F$#& everything and everyone in half a city block grenade that relied on liquid, super cooled plasma that when reheated would supposedly, since she really hadn't had the opportunity to test it.

 _Scene Break_

Armsmaster looked expressionless at the wrecked and still flaming apartment complex of one of his Wards civilian identity. _Apparently,_ the person who had done this still hadn't left, and was still standing in the middle of the burning apartment.

According to the reports of the witnesses, the black suited figure had flown through a window, and after multiple demands for Sophia's location, had given the occupants 10 minutes to evacuate after which she had began torching the place.

He gave the signal for the other Protectorate members to begin surrounding the smoldering building before walking up the singed and charred stairs, a small respirator around his lower face so her could breath despite the still active flames and chocking smoke.

And there the arsonist stood.

Clad in a black bodysuit with metallic wings shooting out from the feminine figures back where a large tank of the same metal was strapped. A choker of the same metal was around the figures neck, separating the possible power suit from its helmet that featured two large, insectile, piss-yellow lenses. Cradled in the figures arms was was an absolute _monster_ of a flamethrower, its pilot lite flickering an eery green-purple.

The figure turned too regard Armsmaster, and then it spoke, its voice electronic and buzzing as it spoke through a respirator set into its mask.

"Hello, _hero_ , where is Sophia?"

 _End_

Done, A tinker Taylor base around everything fire and heat. I figure Tinker 7 because of the f-everything grenade? For those of you who think I'm giving this Taylor too much power, I try and give People a method for ramping up to Endbringer confrontation if they decide to use any of my one-shots.

In honor of an interesting movie that I just saw, (Hotel Artemis, not a great movie, but interesting) Next chapter is,

 _Nurse Taylor, on-call for the villains of Brockton Bay 24-7!_

(Im a paramedic in real life, so I enjoy both Medical based fiction stories and movies)


	22. Chapter 22

Any way, anybody seen the new movie, hotel Artemis? Its basically a super secure, hotel/hospital for criminals, villains, or people who just don't want to really draw attention to themselves. Also, this Taylor is unpowered, the bullying happens earlier, Taylors a year older then in cannon, she drops out, gets EMT certification and is working on nursing degree. Basically now she get paid oodles of money to be quick and confidential healthcare for criminals.

 _Nurse Taylor, On Call for villians!_

Regent moaned in pain as Grue held him in a fireman carry, his arms straining as he hoisted the slimmer man onto one of Bitches dogs, and the hoist himself on top the dog, behind Regent, where he could keep the other man on the dog.

Grue turned to check on Tattletale, his face hidden behind his motorcycle helmet furious, the whole Ruby Dreams casino heist had been a trap, Oni Lee had been waiting for them, and Tattletale, the one who had pushed for the job hadn't seemed very surprised about it.

Tattletale just ignored his look, and looked down at her phone.

"C'mone, we need to move. She wont hold our rooms for very long."

Grue tried to sneak a peek at her phone, but only saw a text with four separate lines of numbers, each one dozens numbers long.

 _Scene Break_

Taylor yawned as her tablet buzzed, the alarm of four incoming Capes, one of whom was a deluxe member. She sighed as she slid her bare feet into her slippers, grabbed her flask, and proceeded to pad her way down the hallway, tablet in hand, bag in the other, with her flask in her pocket. On her way, she checked on Beta room. Mr. Beta was currently slurring and cussing as a mixture of Narcan and Bupernorphine, along with a couple other less legal drugs ran through his veins, easing the symptoms of the the near fatal overdose and withdrawal symptoms he was going through. And while Mr. Betas money, and therefore his membership, were as good as any of Taylors other clients, his mouth made her want to give him a swift kick to the balls.

Next on the list of patients was a Mrs. Echo. This was the dour blond woman's third visit in the last month, or rather, it was her victims third visit. The mousey Brunette, who this time was currently suffering from a broken arm, and shattered fingers. It screamed domestic abuse to her, but frankly, she wasn't payed to care. With her arm set, and her finger recovering from a minor surgery, Miss Echo would be able to leave in the next few days, with zero media attention and minimum loss of movement during her subsequent recovery. Of course she would need some significant painkillers if she was going to play doctor without showing some significant pain, but again, she wasn't paid to care.

That was all for her inpatient list, however, she did have a number of outpatients she wanted to see before end of business hours today. Hopefully the Undersiders wouldn't take too long. Taylor pressed the button for her… _Assistants_ , to check on both her current inpatients on a regular basis as she prepped the rooms for the Undersiders, who should be arriving right… About…

Now.

 _Scene Break_

The Undersiders arrived outside a dilapidated warehouse, Grue shot Tattletale another look, but she pointedly ignored him and entered the warehouse, Grue following with Regent under one arm, Bitch under the other, both of them semi-conscious and doing their best to move under their own power. He followed Tattletale, and was just as disapointed as he had expected to be when he entered into a empty warehouse. But then Tattletale walked to the middle of room, felt around for a few moments before grasping a steel ring attached to the cement floor and drew it out, revealing a short staircase.

Tattletale hissed at Grue to hurry up before walking her way down the stairs.

 _SceneBreak_

Taylor watched from behind some metal bars with sheets of bulletproof glass wedged between the gaps. She sighed as the Undersiders staggered in, all four were injured, the girly-boy and the buff girl the most so, clinging to emo-mc edge lord in his black leathers and skull helmet.

Tattletale quickly entered in the four codes into the nearby keypad, and on each one the light set into the gate flashed green, but on the last code, the one for muscled girl, who looked rather like shed gone a few too many rounds with the ugly stick, the light set into the gate flashed a bright, bloody red.

Taylor crooked one eyebrow as Tattletale cursed frantically as she began punching in the code again.

"Give me a second! You know I have all four codes here!"

The gate light flashed red, this time accompanied by a harsh buzzer, and far more worryingly the, the whir and clunk as four turrets came down from the ceiling and trained themselves on each Undersider.

"Goddammit Tattletale! Get us in there!"

Grue cursed, his body posture absolutely livid.

Tattletale turned around to level an absolutely venomous glare at True.

"I will! It would be easier if there weren't so many damn distractions!"

Tattletale turned back to Taylor and put on her most convincing ' _im so innocent don't kill me'_ look.

"Im sure those aren't necessary Nurse. I still have one last chance to enter the fourth code. You and I both know that I have the code, are memberships are paid up, and both I and our employer have a Premium membership, so even if the code doesn't work, could you still let us in?"

Taylor lips creased into a frown, and without speaking, she withdrew her tablet, and then pressed a black button on its readout, and the turrets cycled, chambering bullets.

Tattletale winced.

"Of course not, one moment please."

The blond took in a deep breath, and placed her shaking hand on the keepad, and gently pressed a sequence of 12 numbers.

783363647853

The light buzzed green, the turrets retracted, and the gate slid aside allowing the Undersiders to enter.

Tattletale sighed with relief as she helped Grue get Regent and Bitch onto wheeled gurneys.

"Was that really necessary?"

Taylor just smirked.

"I alway enjoyed the old saying, that the best way to make a point, was to have the bigger stick, and if they didn't listen, hit them with it."

Taylor wheeled Regent and Bitch into the double room and then efficiently began cutting away the clothing at the numerous sites of injuries, Taylor muttered as she tended the injuries, cutting, inserting, witdrawing, sanitizing, stiching.

An unending litany of motions and movement, of prayer, and of mediation.

Once she was finished, Taylor calmly stripped off her bloodied gloves and dropped them into a nearby bio-hazard can, gave a calm nod to the two still conscious Undersideres who were busy patching their own wounds.

After one last check up on her current in-patients, next on her list was her outpatients.

Mrs. Hotel, Mr. Charlie, and Mr. Tango.

 _Scene Break_

 _Mrs. Hotel_

Taylor sighed as she entered into the house where she and Mrs. Hotel would meet for her monthly checkups. The heavyset woman was currently smoking a large Cuban with a incredibly self satisfied expression on her face. When Hotel saw the look on Taylor's face she made a face before putting it out on a tray on the counter next to where she was sitting.

"They're my damn lungs, I would think that I could pollute them however I choose."

Taylor stuck her tongue out at the older, heavyset woman as she opened her bag and began withdrawing a number of syringes and few different technological gizmos and gadgets.

"Yeah well, once you get a different private Nurse willing to deal with you driving yourself even earlier to the grave because you don't feel like getting a laying of the hands by Panacea, or get on the list for Tinker Tech replacements."

Mrs. Hotel made a face that easily told her opinion of getting healed by Panacea, let alone putting Tinker Tech into her body. It was obvious she would rather cut out her own kidneys and go without them.

Taylor just continued setting up Mrs. Hotel's Dialysis before swabbing the crook of her elbow with a local disinfectant and pricking the vein, then she set the bag of Saline and Dialysis mixture up, gave it a quick flick with her finger to get it going, before sitting down opposite her patient.

Mrs. Hotel sighed in satisfaction as the proprietary mixture of Dialysis and pain medication all diluted and mixed together in a Saline solution hit her blood stream.

"So, anything interesting happen at work this week Mrs. Hotel?"

Hotel sighed and rubbed at the bridge of her nose with the arm without the I.V.

"A bunch of grown men and women acting like children, and children being forced to act like psychopathic adults. So, a normal day all in all, we're still stuck with miss Juvenile Offender though."

Taylor grunted as she pricked one of Hotel's fingers and stuck the droplet of blood in a small machine. It beeped for a few moments before coming back just over the minimum toxicity level requiring treatment. Taylor gave Hotel an appreciative grin.

"Well, color me both surprised and impressed, your numbers are as close to perfect as I can hope, and far better then I was expecting considering the fondness you have alcohol and cigars, I was expecting something far, far worse."

Hotel just shrugged.

"In all honesty, I was too busy working to indulge, and it wasn't even the usual stressful work that gets my numbers up, this was just busy work,"

Mrs. Hotel smirked briefly.

"Hell, parts of it are even making me hopeful, we're getting a few new Wards from Boston to help with the cleanup form Bakuda's rampage, and to help prepare for the inevitable confrontation when Lung goes on a warpath to prove that despite the loss of a cape, he's still the biggest cape in Brockton."

Taylor shrugged.

"Well, at least you got Bakuda, but with the Wards, shouldn't you be able to at least hold the line against Lung?"

Mrs. Hotel and Bakuda spoke for another hours, before finally they mad etheir parting exchanges and Taylor left, bag in hand for her next patient.

 _End_

Not very satisfied with how this turned out, oh well.

Ive been reading a bunch of 'insert color here' Lantern Si's so, now, the next few chapter will by version of Taylor getting various different power rings.

Tell me your favorite color! cause I only want one more, since I'm already decided on two, Im just having a hard time deciding the third.


	23. Chapter 23

_Idea_

Essentially though one form of chicanery of another, a ring fall into Earth Bet and selects Taylor. But more importantly, it will only have the one thing from the D.C. universe. Its a pet peeve of mine, when someone has a great crossover story, that is interesting, engaging, and well thought out, and they muck it all up by inserting random cross over elements in order to induce some sort of 'tension'.

So, here it is, Taylor Hebert, except just a titch more angry.

 _Rage_

Taylor Hebert stood waist deep in a dumpster, digging for her mothers flute.

She _knew_ she shouldn't have brought it too school but, but…

 **She had needed** ** _something!_**

Anything!

She had needed a talisman to get through the day, so she had brought her flute to school, she hadn't even taken it out of her bag! And yet somehow, someway, it had disappeared from her bag, and scant hours later, she had been confronted by the smirking, _giggling,_ ** _gleeful TRIO_** , and they… They had told her that what she had lost was in the dumpster out back, so now, now she was waist deep in filth and searching for her flute.

BUT SHE STILL HADN'T FOUND **IT!**

If she was still searching in an hour, tomorrow she would walk to school with a knife in hand and then split Emma ear to ear like a _God. DAMMED._ **_CHICKEN_**.

AND no, she WASNT **ANGRY**.

She was **so** ** _far_** past just **angry** that she had gone past angry, then enraged, and eventually rip #$&inglly pissed and out the other side into calm, placid thought.

As she was still briskly searching through the trash when she felt, more then heard an odd pulse behind her that startled her so badly that she almost fell face-first into the rotten trash, she turned around to see a floating, red ring, that was glowing a lambent red. And then it spoke in a gruff, mechanical tone.

 **"** **Taylor Hebert of '** _Skrzzt'_ **".** Taylor winced, the voice coming from the ring had turned into to a sort of electronic screaching. It continued speaking a moment later the same deep, male electronic tone of voice came out again.

 **"** **You have great rage in your heart."**

Taylor scoffed. Rage, HA! This thing knew nothing about rage.

 **"** **Taylor Hebert, you have the capably to mete out great justice."**

The ring pulsed brighter, its red light becoming almost blinding.

 **"** **You belong to the Red Lantern Core."**

And with that the ring plunged itself into Taylors chest.

 _Scene Break_

 _"_ _Console to Aegis, we've been getting reports of a disturbance at Winslow High, involving flashes of some sort of red light and sounds of a fight. Miss Milita is already on route, but you and Stalker are closer. Go check it out, do not engage if it turns out to be a hostile Cape."_

Aegis pressed a finger to ear and nodded, hoping that it osuldnt turn into a fight.

"Roger console, permission to engage subject in conversation if they turn out to be non-hostile?"

There was a pause as the Ward on duty for console for the day, Vista, confirmed with the Protectorate member on duty.

 _"_ _Permission granted, and Assault wanted to tell you permission granted to muzzle Shadow Stalker if it turns out to be a friendly encounter."_

Aegis suppressed a snicker and ventured a glance behind him to see Stalkers shoulders tense.

"Roger Console, on our way."

 _Scene Break_

Aegis flew over head as Shadow Stalker circle around to surround whoever was making the odd strobing lights near the back of Winslow.

And then blinked.

Down by a set of mauled and mostly destroyed dumpsters was figure full, elaborate plate armor the color of blood, and was still attacking the dumpsters with a humongous axe, the same color as the armor while screaming at the top of its lungs.

Aegis stopped on the roof above and saw Shadow Stalker do the same at the corner of the school. Aegis wondered exactly what he was supposed to do with the _thing_ below and radioed in for instructions.

"Console, this is Aegis, theres some sort of armored knight going berserk on the dumpsters in the back of Winslow."

 _"_ _Any chance of friendly interaction?"_

Aegis took another look at the shrieking, flailing knight.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say, not only no, but _hell_ no Console."

Just then he heard a clatter as Shadow Stalker stepped out into the alleyway.

"Hebert? Is that you, you weakling?"

 _'_ _What. The. Crap. What is she doing? Does Sophia know the new trigger? If so why in the hell is she antagonizing her?'_

The armored figured stopped its rampage as it turned, it armor eerily silent.

" _So…Phiaaa?"_ It groaned out, its voice harsh and raspy from its screaming.

Sophia nodded, one hand drifting towards her crossbow.

"Yeah its me Hebert. What, did you trigger digging around in the trash like a pig?"

The armored figure seemed to confused.

" _Sophia? Sophia…"_

Shadow Stalker scoffed.

"Yeah Hebert its me. Now, are you going to come in willingly, or do I have to school you as usual first?"

But the armored figure didn't respond didn't respond for a few long moments, just when Sophia was about to speak again, the blood red knight let loose a bone rattling growl.

" ** _Sophia…!_** "

And it leapt forward screaming, brandishing its blood red axe that had started glowing a bright red.

 _End_

There we go! Crazed berserker Taylor Hebert with a Red Lantern ring that is implant din her chest. Thats one of the things that I've always hated about the lantern rings, the fact that the power could be taken away with a severed finger or a snatched ring, especially the Red lantern Ring, a Ring that converts the body into needing it so that there new plasma blood don't kill them, so now its implanted into her chest.

Edit: I forgot to write it down, each Lantern Chapter is actually technically two chapters since they arn't very long, I forgot to mention that. Sorry!

Next Ring chapter is an Orange ring of GREED!

Still taking ideas for the last ring color, all though their have been a couple of good ones.


	24. Chapter 24

Apologies if it wasn't conveyed at any point in a clear fashion. Chapters that only reach 1,000 words will have a second part.

This Chapter focuses on the PRT reaction and Taylor's inevitable escape and run-in with less important characters who are promptly…

Well, they get sliced, diced, and chopped, all for one low, low price.

 _Rage Part two_

Piggot glared at the screen showing a recording of the fight between the Parahuman tentatively being labeled as 'Crimson Knight', then she turned her head to glare at Aegis and Shadow Stalker, the offending Capes were chagrined and angsty regardless.

The battle between the two Wards and the the new Cape had been an utter destruction, she was just glad no video had turned up online.

Piggot repressed a sigh as she rubbed at the bridge of her nose. It was days like today she wished for laser vision so she burn the faces off of little jerks like these two.

But _nnooooo…_. She had to be the calm and reasonable director of the PRT ENE.

"So, tell me again what exactly happened."

 _Scene Break- the fight_

The Cape in red arm launched itself at Shadow Stalker, screaming insanely, an axe that actually seemed to be swelling in size as it swung for Stalker, its trajectory obviously aiming to cut her in half the long way.

Sophia, had seconds to react, and with a faceless, screaming berserker leaping at her? Well, she fell to old, lazy habits.

Sophia leaned out of the way of the axe strike, shifting to mist as she did, but there was a wet _ka-thump_ and a flair of pain.

Sophia turned to see her right arm on the ground, severed cleanly from her shoulder.

Then she turned to the knight clad in red, and then she _screamed_.

 _Scene Break- the Debrief_

Piggot nodded, and then turned to Aegis.

"Im guessing this is where you came into the equation?"

Aegis nodded.

"Yes ma'am. As soon as I realized the severity of Shadow Stalkers injury I blitzed Crimson Knight's back, going for a hard as possible blow."

Piggot raised one eyebrow.

"And do you feel justified with you use of potentially lethal force?"

Aegis nodded, his expression firm and resolute.

"Yes Ma'am, I do. The blow the knight was aiming at Shadow Stalker, since it can apparently effect her Shadow form, would have been lethal, I was defending Sophia from immediate bodily harm, and possibly death."

Piggot nodded.

"Fair enough, continue."

 _Scene Break- The Fight_

Aegis felt the bones in his fists shatter as he impacted the knights back, launching the figure away, its scream of rage cut off abruptly at the audible impact.

Aegis landed next to Shadow Stalker and tore of a strip of her cloak and tied it to her stump before slapping her awake.

"Stalker. Stalker! **Stalker!** Wake up! You need to Shadow up and run!"

The ground quaked as the knight roared, and leapt back in the direction of the two Wards. Aegis picked up Shadow Stalker and pushed her away as he turned to face the incoming threat.

It impacted in a wave of force and debris, and instead of an axe the knight was wielding a… _A gatling gun?_

Thats just _not_ **_fair_**.

 _Scene Break- the Debriefing_

Piggot blinked.

"A Gatling gun?"

Aegis nodded.

"Yes Ma'am, and as far as I can tell it never needed a reload."

"Huh."

 _Scene Break- The Fight_

Aegis frantically dove for cover behind some of already mauled dumpsters. Unfortunately the red bullets the gatling gun was spitting out punched straight through, some of them also punching quarter sized holes in Aegis.

Thinking quickly, Carlos had to admit that the only road left of him that wouldn't involve him getting Swiss cheesed by a stab happy and powerful pararhuman was retreat.

Turning around he was about to launch when he felt a gauntleted grip wrap around his head, before he felt himself rapidly moving as he was chucked in the same direction he had earlier launched the knight, except it was much, _much_ faster.

Aegis felt himself cough up blood as he impacted into a nearby office building.

 _Scene Break- The Debrief_

"And that was the end of the engagement, correct?"

Aegis and Shadow Stalker both nodded. Piggot took in a deep, shuddering breath, stood, and screamed.

 _"_ _YOU MORONS! YOU ENGAGED AN UNKOWN PARAHUMAN WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION! AND YOU GOT YOUR ASS' HANDED TO YOU!"_

Piggot turned to Shadow Stalker and poked at her with one stubby finger.

"And _You._ "

Shadow Stalker pointed at herself, slightly confused at their usually composed director becoming more and more unhinged. This just made the Director even more enraged.

" ** _Yoouuu…_** "

And then, with a speed that was more frightening then that of how she had gotten angry, Piggot calmed down.

She sat back down into her chair and steepled her fingers, and then she smiled.

It was not a nice smile.

"Due to questions raised during your confrontation of the Parahuman known as Crimson Knight, Aegis, you are officially relieved of Ward command. Shadow Stalker you are under House Arrest here at the rig until an investigation conducted by Armsmaster and a number of PRT I.A. and Youth Guard officials concludes. If my prayers happen to be answered an you are guilty of any of the crimes I think you are, well…"

Piggot trailed off and her smile grew until it was more like a predator licking its chops before eating a fresh kill then any sort of smile.

"Well, then it becomes my responsibility to throw the book at you, but considering how much of a pain my ass you are, I will _bury_ you."

 _End_

There we go! Another chapter by popular demand/was already going to do it.

 _Red Lantern Taylor Power Ratings_

Blaster 7: can shoot concussive blasts of hard light, can form constructs up to and including guided (nuclear) missiles, power armor, gun emplacements, and other fancy crap.

Brute 6: Capable of surviving a vacuum, able to create power armor constructs, Hard light armor and constructs are bullet proof at a minimum, Hard light constructs also have a near mono-molecular blade. Highest level of defensive constructs can even defend against a ramped Lung.

Mover 6: Capable of supersonic flight, less maneuverable then comparable man-made planes.

Trump 2: Capable of using imagination to synthesize construct versions of a Capes weakness.

(?)Shaker(?) 5: Certain Constructs have the potential to act as significant changes to the composition of the battle field, Eg: Large scale shields or missile constructs.

 _Authors Note_

There we go. Didn't know if Shaker actually applies, but I think it does. Next Lantern Taylor is _Agent Orange._

Still taking ideas for the third ring chapter, after which I will be setting up a poll in celebration of 25 chapters.

It will be a question of what One Shot you want taken into a full-fledged story. (Since I'm getting rid of Taylor Gets a bodyguard it needs a story to take its place.)


	25. Chapter 25

_Idea_

So who knows the alien, the myth, the legend that is Larfleeze, otherwise known Agent Orange, the last Orange Lantern, and the sole inheritor of the central power battery battery of avarice? He is an epic son of a gun. He really, truly is.

After escaping slavery, he and a band of other escaped slaves steal a map to the orange lantern battery, in an effort to get the map back, the Guardians chase after Larfleeze and the other theives, and finally manage to catch up with them once the first few people who try to touch Larfleeze get incinerated by the Orange light, so in desperation they make a deal where he, and his last serving compatriot duel for possession of the Orange central battery, and that no Orange lanterns would leave the Vega sector, and the entire sector would be forbidden to any Guardian, Green lantern or their allies.

Of course Larfleeze won. He's also billions of years old, and absolute nuts with it, there is some speculation as to why, some say its the properties of the Orange ring, others blame his advanced age, again, he is millions of years old, and short of the oldest of guardians is one of the oldest mortal characters in D.C. There is also some idea of wether or not it was from his harsh upbringing as a slave.

 _Agent Orange_

Taylor stared at her scarred and pitted forearms, after the locker, she had been left… _scarred._

She had divots ranging from the size of a penny to a golf ball of flesh removed from various parts of her body, apparently the bugs in the locker had gone to town, and with all of the nastiness in the locker, the minuscule bites had become infected, and then septic, and the afflicted tissues had been surgically removed, saving her life, but leaving as this patchwork… _Thing._

She didn't even want revenge on the trio.

She just wanted to have a normal body again, she wanted to never have to go to Winslow again. She wanted to be able to provide for herself.

She wanted, she wanted, she wanted.

Her wants went on, and on, and on. But in the end she had on way of _satisfying_ them. All she she was at this moment, was a crippled girl, who's father was pulling even further away, and who had no money to their name. She sighed as she went to bed, perhaps things would look better in the morning.

 _Scene Break_

Taylor woke blearily, she cast a glance over to her alarm clock, the red letters declaring that it was 2:30 in the morning.

Then the sound that had woken her in the first place.

A small tap-tapping on the glass of her bedroom window.

She turned her head and then blinked in shock, a gently glowing orange ring was gently bumping against it. It would tap against the window, bounce off and pause for a moment, before trying again.

Taylor blinked again.

Apparently there was a glowing tinker tech ring at her window.

And it wanted in.

…

…

Taylor got up to let the ring in. It wasn't like she had anything to lose, right?

As soon as she opened the window, it zipped in, and made a quick circuit of the room before coming to a halt in front of Taylor, and from within it came a screeching growling voice, a voice that wasn't human in the least.

" ** _Taylor Hebert of Earth, you want it ALL. Welcome to the Orange Lantern Corps._** "

And then the ring slid itself onto her finger, where it said one final thing.

" _ **You are now the Last of the Orange Lantern Corp. You have one role, you are to TAKE what you want, no matter what it is, and to never stop. This is the command from Larfleeze, the last guardian of the Orange light, to its next**_."

Then the orange light flared, visible from outside, it pulsed and strobed, slowly rising in intensity until it the light it was projecting could be visible from the Docks.

 _Scene Break_

Taylor woke with a gasp an looked at the softly pulsing ring nestled on her finger like a wedding ring.

Unconsciously she rubbed it with her other hand.

It, it was _warm…_

But then she noticed something even stranger, and far more fantastic.

Her arms were healed, her body, her whole body was completely healed! And more then that, it was better then before! That small paunch she had been getting at her stomach, gone. The scar on her calf from getting cut on some glass she had fallen on when she was little? _Poof!_

Taylor couldn't help herself, she started laughing, long, and hard.

It started out low and quiet, but grew into high, manic, cackling that would have sent serious doubts as to her sanity if anyone was listening.

Eventually she calmed down, taking great gasping breaths, and in between, she managed to whisper.

"What _are_ you?"

And to her dying day, she would steadfastly insist that she hadn't screamed shrilly at the top of her lungs when the ring replied.

 _Scene Break 1 month later Ruby Casino_

Lisa looked up from her position at the head of the Undersiders as they were leaving from their job robbing the Ruby dreams casino, and the paled.

There was a gigantic glowing orange orb in the sky accelerating towards the alley in front of them, she blinked, and abruptly it was hovering, silently above the alleyway. Lisa heard a few words of broken Japanese, and the sphere faded away, leaving a female figure of burnt, faintly glowing orange.

Lisa felt her mouth slowly drop open as her power screeched to a sudden halt.

In front of her was a female, orange version of Scion, her entire body varying shades of Orange, including her long hair that seemed to be floating in the wind.

She felt herself swallow at the possibility of it actually being a female Scion, and then slowly turned to Grue and frantically motioned with her hand for them to move.

 _Scene Break_

Lung stared at the glowing figure in front of him, he took a step forward and then stopped as more then a dozen orange knights in full plate armor flashed into existence, causing Lung to swell almost immediately as his power registered a new, higher threat level. His arms began growing scales, and he breathed out a long gout of flame that washed over the knights and the orange figure.

He took in a deep breath, and then his eyes widened as he realized he was still growing in height right as a trio of Orange swords plunged out of the smoke and into him, the blades pinning him to the sidewalk heated to a cherry red.

There was a blade in each hand, and then one buried in his guts, letting him the small freedom of still being able to thrash and kick his legs.

Lung could feel his heart freeze with fear as the orange female figure stepped out of the smoke and walked up to his prone body. He tried to kick the orange figure, but when his scaled foot impacted onto his foes serene form, it _shattered_. Flesh, bone, tendons all splintering from the force Lung exerted against the Orange figure.

Lung suppressed the whimper that threatened to force its way from out between his teeth.

If this was to be the day he finally fell, the dragon of Kyushu would meet by staring it in the eyes, and spitting in its face.

The orange figure saddled Lung's chest, her long wrapping around the irate asian dragon as she placed one hand on his forehead. Lung's eyes crossed as he followed her movements, he noticed something odd, on her right hand, there was a strange orange ring with an even stranger symbol on it as it came to rest on his forehead.

Then, the orange figure spoke with a voice like like thunder, and a tone like screaming electronics.

" **Intergration of Parahuman Lung into Orange Lantern Corp started. 10% and climbing."**

 _Scene Break_

Armsmaster jumped off his motorcycle, halberd in hand, and landed, just in time to see Lung dissolve as the orange figure resting on top of him rise, an electronic voice speaking loudly enough that Armsmaster could feel it in his bones.

" **Intergration of Parahuman Lung into the Orange Lantern Corp, complete."**

Armsmaster brought his halberd to bare, and spoke, his voice gruff, hiding his nervousnesses as best he could as a single, solitary drop of sweat rand down the back of his neck.

"Unknown parahuman, state you name and then surrender!"

In eery, almost terrifying synch, the orange woman and her knights turned as one to regard Armsmaster as the same voice of thunder and electronics spoke again.

" **I am Agent Orange, and you Armsmaster, have something I** ** _Need._** "

 _End_

Yes, you might say that Lung got smashed a little too easily, but my thought process is thus, Larfleeze is one of the single most powerful characters in the D.C. universe that hasn't attained godhood, while Lung, who admittedly is a powerful enemy, a hugely powerful one once he gets ramped up to a sufficient degree. But Larfleeze doesn't need that, and would be able to absorb Parahuman's with his ring and hopefully be able to hijack and use them with their powers.

Power ratings

Blaster 6: Larfleeze never uses any amazingly powerful blasts, but routinely takes down walls, with normal energy blasts, and takes down buildings with higher strength blasts. His blaster rating would be higher, but Larfleeze uses constructs that replicate living beings rather then mechanical things, if he used more green lantern style blasters and boxing gloves the blaster rating would be higher.

Shaker 8: Shields, also, not _totally_ sure wether or not Taylor/Larfleeze's master puppets would qualify as a Shaker ability as well as a master ability.

Master 9: Since Larfleeze, and now by extension Taylor can absorb parahumans, and in my own personal idea at least would be able to use their abilities, the master ranking would only go up, right now, as of this chapter has Lung as well as whatever constructs Larfleeze had in his ring.

Brute 6: Shields strong enough to go through the vacuums of space, and to endure hits from endbringers, but no enhanced strength.

Striker 5: Can materialize blades with a monomolecular edge.

(?)Thinker(?): Possible thinker rating, I don't know if it qualifies, but there is evidence show of Larfleeze knowing what his constructs know.

 _Next Ring Chapter: Love is in the air, and an arrow is in your heart_

 _Next Chapter:_ Dolls and self improvement


	26. Chapter 26

_Idea:_ So, does anyone remember when Taylor references how Emma made some guy pretend to be in a relationship with Taylor, and then betrayed her in one of the worst ways possible and then just absolute trashed. So in light of that, Taylor in the aftermath of that painful event plus a sapphire ring of love, which by the way, next to the Purple and the red creates one of the most radical personality differences in a ring bearer. Case in point, Carol Ferris, who in a few comic editions sort of dies or disappears depending on where you look, and then reappears a few months or years later as Star Sapphire, a homicidal criminal crazy person, or in other words a lantern of love.

 _Arrow to the heart_

Taylor was crying, tears dripping down her face. Just when she thought Emma couldn't get any worse, she had somehow managed to get a boy to pretend, for months, to be her friend, and hint at what Taylor would thought be more then that. And then, Emma and Sophia had ambushed her, after making it damn clear that they had been behind it all. Sophia had attacked her, leaving her bruised, bleeding.

And now, she had been left behind in some empty lot downtown, and the sun was setting, she took in one deep, shuddering breath as she stood up, and began the long walk home in the dark, wincing with every step from the pain in her ribs.

Unfortunately for her, due to her pain, and a possible concussion, she didn't notice the trio of Merchants walking by nudge each other and whisper, before nodding and beginning to jog after Taylor. She didn't notice right up until they dragged her into an alley, then, well, then she noticed.

And the thugs didn't notice the flying slim, pinkish purple ring until it had slid right onto Taylors finger.

They did however notice the bright flare of pink light that threw them back, one of the thugs impacting with a wet crunch against the brick wall of the alley. The other two were sent sliding back as they stared in terrified awe at the woman in front of them, who's clothing was rapidly transforming form ripped and torn jeans and t-shirt to a purple and black bodysuit that left her midriff bare except for a a glowing gem that seemed to be embedded into her flesh. In a rare flash of intelligence both of the remaining merchants realized with what they are about to do, it was likely that the unknown cape floating in front of them in a corona of purple an pink light was unlikely to afford them any mercy.

As they turned to run, their suspicions were proven correct, as the floating form manifested a great bow out of a purple light that faded to pink at its edges, pulled back the string, and let loose as an arrow materialized mid release. It shot forward and buried itself into the skull of one of the fleeing men, and when she turned back to look the merchant screamed at the figure who was suddenly in front of him, a sword made of light in hand, the last thing he saw was it coming forward at speed, and plunging into his chest.

 _Scene Break_

Taylor awoke, her head pounding, she licked her dry lips and tasted something coppery, wondering what could have happened, she opened her eyes too look down at her hands.

They were covered with blood. Her hands, arms, chest, and apparently her face, all of it covered with blood.

Waking up covered in blood, well, there was only one logical response. Taylor opened her mouth and screamed.

 _Scene Break_

Armsaster was poking around the crime scene with Gallant and Vista observing him, he hoped that the two professional wards might pick up a few of the finer avenues of the criminal sciences by doing so. He decided to test wether or not they were actually paying attention as he walked them through his conclusions.

"So, knowing that there is most likely a new Blaster, what form do you think her ranged attack takes."

Vista pointed at her nose almost immediately.

"Judging by the clean wounds, and lack of any scent, I would think some sort of hard light projection, with little to no corrosive properties, otherwise I would be smelling cooked flesh."

Armsmaster nodded in approval.

"Well reasoned deduction Vista. What about you Gallant, what else can you tell from the scene?"

Gallant looked at the three bodies before pointing at them in turn.

"The new parahuman most likely has some sort of area of affect blast since the first body in the alley has no other marks other the the injuries from impacting the alley wall. I think they might also have some sort of close range striker ability too, the first corpse looks like its facing the alley, while the second took a strike to the back."

Armsaster nodded again. Apparently they _had_ been paying attention.

"I agree with both of your reasonings. Now, more importantly, what ratings do you think should be assigned?"

 _End_

Ehhhh, sort of disappointed as too where I ended it, but I couldn't think of another place to go. The way I picture this goin if someone were to pick it up, is a sort of Jekyl and Hyde situation where Lantern Taylor acts out all the things Civilian Taylor cant or wont, up to and including taking revenge on the trio which would bring her into conflict with the Protectorate. Now onto the ratings.

Blaster 6: consistently defeated by Green lanterns, but still show enough power to blow in walls and at the highest levels take out whole floors worth. However like Red lanterns they don't show many advanced constructs.

Mover 8: Supersonic flight, highly maneuverable, don't know if they have FTL though…

Brute 6: Same level of shields as the other lanterns. Space capable, Endbringer weathering.

Shaker 4: Large scale environmental shields/constructs

Tinker 4: Saphire lanterns are shown, more then any other form, with a strange sense of intuition of love that works to find people either without love or who would fit into the lantern corp, I assume its a sort of extension of the entrance protocols that allow rings to search out worthy entrants into corps depending on criteria.

 _Side Note:_ As an interesting side note, the Saphire Lantern Corps is actually unique in being the only Corp that can forcefully draft its members. To be fair, once they're in the red lantern corp they cant leave, but still.

 _Next Chapter:_ Dolls and Self improvement

After that, and the chapter after it since I had a great idea for it, I'll set up a pull for a full length story.


	27. Chapter 27

_Idea_

So, there is an old and not very good anime by the name of Unbreakable Machine Doll which has an interesting concept of A.I. dolls with pseudo magic powers. Their are two general kinds of dolls with many subsets in the anime, legal dolls and banned dolls, banned dolls have to cause some sort of harm to the user or other doll, wether its consumption of raw meat (generally human), consumption of other dolls power sources (which are basically a sentient beings heart) or drawing on a users very life force.

Now I actually love the concept, but their execution, plus the fact that it ends so suddenly turns me off the series in general.

The second source I am drawing inspiration from is Sasori from Naruto. Sasori was an absolutely _bad-ass_ character that dies a frankly pathetic death that it ruins that absolute bad-arse factor of a man who by his own words has killed countries, and managed to kill the strongest Kazekage in his countries history.

So the idea for this, is Danny triggers when he reads through Taylors journals in the aftermath of the locker incident and realizes that his daughter best friend/sister in all but blood has been torturing her for almost two years, goes basically crazy trying to fix her and essentially transplants her mind into a doll like body with a significant brute rating. Were talking brute 5 with commiserate mover rating that will only improve with time.

I also figure when Taylor wakes up and realizes what he's done, she freaks out, and triggers with Tinker abilities that she uses to improve her own body and create more puppets that she can control a-la Sasori style.

A.K.A. Dragon 2.0

 _Dolls and Self improvement_

Taylor awoke blearily as something shouted in her ear. She opened to strangely stiff eyelids to see her father on a T.V. screen shouting at her.

"Taylor! _Taylor!_ You need to wake up now Taylor! We don't have very long until you "

Taylor blinked her still stiff eyes. Her dad, her dad, well, quite frankly he looked wrecked. His eyes were shadowed by two dark bags that were so large, it almost looked like he had been socked in the face. He also looked like he had dropped ten or twenty pounds.

Taylor opened her mouth and spoke, she was shocked at her voice. It was inhumanly smooth.

"Dad?… Whats going on? Where am I? Where are you?"

Her father on screen gave a trembling smile.

"You might not remember, but you were attacked… You were going to die."

Taylors hand blocked the gasp that threatened to escape from her throat.

"I was at home trying to gather things to bring to your hospital room and make it feel a little more homely, when I discovered your diary. I read it. And… And I triggered. I triggered with the ability to be able to save you."

Taylor looked down at her hands. At the doll like joints, and the inhuman porcelain color. And she felt an icy hot pit form in her gut.

"What… What did you _do?_ "

Danny frown was even more intimidating over then screen with his altered, more intense features.

"I saved you. I made you better. Now _no one_ can hurt you. You are stronger, faster, smarter, and all around better then anyone you are likely to face, and just in case you _aren't._ I made a serious of emergency protocols in case of emergency. All you have to do to trigger them-"

Just then the door behind Danny on the television screen blew in and a shadowy form ghosted in. Danny turned around and snarled as a trio of crossbow bolts embedded themselves into his chest.

The shadow resolved itself into a strangely familiar figure that twitched in shock when it saw what was on the screen.

 _"_ _Taylor?!"_

She took off her mask, and Taylor felt her fists crumpling the metal seat she was resting on.

It was Sophia Hess. The evil, and usually Taylor wouldn't use the term like that, but the girl was someone that she didn't hesitate to apply it too. She had tortured her for almost two years…. But there was something she was missing… Some act that she knew was worse, something that she knew made her hate Sophia, but what was it?

" ** _Sophia…_** "

Taylor growled, her perfect voice becoming something almost inhuman.

Then the oddest thing happened. Sophia smiled, a genuinely kind, and loving smile that sent shivers down Taylors spine.

"Its good too see you Tay. Where are you? Tell me so I can come get you okay. I need to know that your okay."

Taylor felt her jaw drop. After what she _DID!?_ Sophia wants to know that she was _Okay?!_

Sophia noticed the expression on Taylor's face even over the television screen and frowned

"Hey, whats wrong Tay? What did he _do_ to you?"

Taylor snarled and stood up, the fabric of the black funeral dress tearing as she accelerated at unreal speeds to stand in front of the television monitor.

"Whats _Wrong?_ _Whats_ **_WRONG!?_** I will kill you for what you just did to my dad!"

And the with a roar she smashed the television screen, the shock wave blowing back her hair.

And with one final hateful look at the television screen Taylor left the room.

 _Scene Break- Some remote viewing station many miles away_

Armsmaster came in and saw Sophia, mask off, next to a corpse, and a monitor showing noting but static looking devastated.

Striding forward he laid a concerned hand on her shoulder.

"Are you all right? Where is she? Did you find her?"

Sophia just start sobbing.

 _End_

MWHAHAHAHA!

Anyway, quick side note from some of the comments form last chapter, I finished the authors not for that at like four in the morning, so I sort of forgot part of that. Yes the Indigo tribe and technically the black lanterns forcefully draft people, but they also have people _willingly_ join. For example, Indio herself and William Hand for each respective lantern corp. Now. That said, for the most part these are the exceptions that prove there rule, but what I have _never_ seen is someone _willingly_ join the Sapphire lantern corp. Like ever.

Anywho, ratings are as follows,

Brute 6: In both anime references the characters I was looking at were able to crush large boulders, as well as tanking significant, ground shattering strikes.

Mover 5: Mover rating is a little hard because she wouldn't have teleport capability, but she would be incredibly fast, like far, far beyond human ability. Like speeding bullet type stuff.

Thinker 5: Another hard one to rate given the 'artificial' nature of her brain. So I'm simply saying she can think faster then the average joe, essentially more processing speed along with an eidetic memory.

Tinker 7: She has targeted self improment, so eventually she would have a blaster rating as well as increasing her ratings for Brute and Mover, as well as an eventual Master rating.

Master 8: (eventually). I like to give all of my ideas a route for ramping up for eventual end bringer and triumvirate confrontation. So for puppet Taylor I would at some point give her Sasori's red army move where he summons 100 puppets.

 _Next Chapter: Incarnations of Death_


	28. Chapter 28

Taylor strained against the locker for a moment, but gave up gasping. She didn't know how long she'd been locked in her locker for, but it felt like it had b been hours. But then, the locker fell open like it had never been locked in the first place, spilling Taylor out from the filth and onto the tiled floor.

She blinked in the harsh light and looked up at the smiling man in front of her.

"Ello little death. It is a pleasure to welcome u to the family."

The black man in front of her wore a suit coat and pants without a undershirt, and it was the strangest thing but for a second Taylor would swear that the mans face was skeletal and shear bone, and then she would blink, and it it would be stylized white paint on black skin.

The man poked her with a dark stained wooden cain that Taylor would have sworn wasn't there a few seconds ago.

"You a'gonna get up at some point little miss?"

Taylor nodded shakily as she got up. She didn't know if she was hallucinating, in shock, or if the man was a cape, but it never hurt to be polite.

"Thank you for letting me out of there sir."

The man through back his head and laughed, his teeth clacking together in a way that reminded Taylor of an old cartoon skeleton.

"Wasnt me who let you out o' de'r. You got'cherself out."

Taylor had to ask.

"How?"

The man tapped at the ground next to Taylor's head.

"Because you've taken up the offices the Morrigan little death."

Taylors mouth dropped open, her mother had been a devout pagan-ist, giving regular devotions to Gaelic deities. But the one that her mother had rarely, if ever talked about was the Morrigan, a trio fo goddesses who were the Irish mythologies goddesses of the battlefield, the choosers of the slain, and rulers of the dead.

The man nodded at Taylors dumbfounded expression.

"Now you begin to understand, you a've awakened to a miraculous new power, it is amazing, but terrible."

Taylor watched open mouthed as the man slapped his cane onto the ground and the world _screamed_.

And then then Taylor and the man were some place else. Dark cobbled streets and menacing shuttered buildings surrounded by flickering street lights, all sheltering beneath a dark sky. Taylor turned to regard the dark man, and then blanched.

The flesh from the mans face, hands, and chest had ran, dripping into great wax like puddles, revealing bleached white bone that seemed to be slightly too edged and pointed to be completely natrual.

The skull rotated and the fixed, bleached grin seemed to grow wider, the skeleton spoke, its voice unchanged by its still decaying flesh.

"A'h forgot to introduce mah'self. I am the Baron Samedi, also known as the Baron La Croix. Loa of da crossroads, of celebration, of sex, and of **death**."

The skeleton spread its arms wide, and the street seemed to rise to meet him. The street lights brightening, doors and windows beginning to creak open, and faint strains of music starting to come from the alleyways.

"Welcome to Bourbon Street little Death. It is time you learn just what you have become."

 _Scene Break_

 _4 weeks later_

Emily Piggot sighed. It had been a long, _long_ , weeks months since the discovery that Shadow Stalker had been tormenting another student at Winslow. They had only figured it out when Taylor had been shoved in a locker that the on sight officers had labeled 'an experiment in bio-terrorism,' and the girl had either triggered to escape, or an unknown cape had rescued her. The problem with that was the cape either was keeping Hebert, or she was already dead since there had been no reports of someone matching Heberts description anywhere on this side of the U.S.

She would know. She'd checked.

She'd checked _everywhere_.

Just then the phone rang. She answered and as the person on the other end of the line continued speaking, her face became more and more of what one might picture if someone had just bitten into a rotten lemon.

Someone had just found a… Nest of sorts in the forest surrounding Brockton. It looked like someone had been living there for a few weeks. It was the kind of place either a new cape to the area, or a new trigger might make.

She relayed the instructions for Armsmaster to take Assault and Battery to investigate the immediate area with Velocity as a scout to give advance warning just in case the cape was watching them.

 _Scene Break_

 _Brockton National forest reserves_

Armsmaster poked at the giant nest that looked like it had been made by some sort of humongous bird that had been built at the base of a large hill, that looked to be a few stories large, it was interwoven with sticks, bones from both animal and human sources, and what Armsmaster could only generously term as trash. He heard the crack of a twig behind him, and whirled, his halberd coming to bear.

"Woah! Woah, Amsbeard! Its me."

Armsmaster lowered his halberd reluctantly.

"Assault."

He then blinked to pull up a prompt on his helmet.

"Wheres your better half?"

Assault gaped at Armsmaster who suppressed the smirk that threatened to spread across his face. Programing an app for common quips jokes for meeting coworkers had apparently paid off.

Just as Assault was about to say something Velocity sped back into the clearing.

"Armsmaster, I've searched the immediate surroundings, for a couple hundred meters in every direction. I didn't find our mystery cape, but there were some traces of whats either a big cat, or signs that our cape has some sharp talons or claws."

Velocity looked around.

"Wait, where Battery? I thought she was supposed to be with you?"

Assault paled dramatically, visibly so underneath his partial mask.

"I thought she was with one of you."

Armsmaster looked at Assault, his lips tightening into one thin line.

"And _we,_ thought she would be with _you_ , her husband."

Just then the Protectorate hero's heard a birdlike screeching followed by a more feminine scream from the top of the hill. The three male Protectorate heroes looked at each other before sprinting to the top of hill, Velocity speeding on ahead.

Armsmaster rushing behind the speedster comm'd ahead.

"Velocity. Status, who screamed."

Velocities voice came back over the comms with a chuckle.

"The scream was Battery, and she found our mystery cape, who I think like her. A lot."

Armsmaster looked at Assault who just shrugged as they raced up the mountain. When they finally arrived at the top of the hill, they arrived too see a curious, strange, and yes, even Armsmaster had to admit, a funny sight. Battery in her white and dark grey costume was being _snuggled_ by another woman.

The other woman had an animal head with a raven head on top of a runners body, black nails that had lengthened into talons, and a large cloak that covered most of her body. The woman occasionally made crooning noises as she rubbed against Batteries cheek.

The woman turned to regard the Protectorate hero's as they arrived gave them a cheery wave and then turned back to Battery.

Armsmaster coughed awkwardly as Battery frantically motioned for help, her faced red with embarrassment.

"Excuse me miss, I will need you to release Battery."

The raven headed woman turned, and, Armsmaster had to admit, did the best pout someone with a raven head could probably do. Then released Battery who scrambled on her hands and knees to take in multiple great gasping breaths.

The cloaked parahuman crouched down and cocked her head to the side, and then spoke.

"Yes, yes? Why have you three and pretty lady come to home?"

Armsmaster had to surprise the grimace on his face.

Despite her childlike and immature tone, the capes voice was inhuman, croaking, it sent pangs of fear and disgust right to his hind brain. But he had to deal with inhuman capes on a regular basis. He pushed past it, stepped forward, and spoke.

"I am Armsmaster. We were searching the woods for Taylor Hebert. Do you know her?"

He pulled out a picture from a compartment on his suit and showed it to the feathered cape. The cape took one look and then nodded furiously and pointing at the picture.

"Yes yes! Injured girl came four weeks ago, we have been looking after injured girl ever since."

Armaster felt an eyebrow rise.

"We?"

The feathered cape nodded even more furiously.

"Yes yes, I is the youngest Badb, my older sisters be the Macha and Aenad, and together we be the Morrigan!"

Armsmaster turned to the other heroes who all nodded. He turned back to the cape who had turned her head again and was regarding Assault, with a sense of hostility.

Armsmaster coughed to get the part bird capes attention again.

"Can you take us to Miss Hebert?"

The cape nodded again and motioned for the heroes to follow her as she began to almost glide on her way back down the hill.

 _End of Incarnations of Death_

 _Authors Note_

Will continue for another chapter or two which more explanations will be put, but essentially every religions death is real and personified, deaths can die by having the last of their believers, perish, or can retire and pass on their office to someone else. Each death would have a certain base set of powers like higher strength, but really resilience and teleportation. But each specific office would get a set of powers like Samedi's Bourbon street. (Inspiration from Squirrel zombie on SV for Baron) or the Morrigan's powers which will probably end up being flight, changer for an ability to turn into a crow along with some other Itachi esque crow powers. Each part of the Morrigan would also have some different powers and temperaments. For instance Macha is immature and childlike and has a fixation with Battery.


	29. Chapter 29

Sooo…. I kinda got tired of Incarnations, I might come back to it, but for now, consider it closed. But, mostly because I was hoping for another season of Lucifer, and partially inspired by a few other one-shots from different mythos, myothsees? Is it like moose where the singular is also the plural? Anyway, Oc or Si in this case, where as per the usual with my way of doing things, throw in one change, and then see what spirals out from there.

 _Deal, or no deal?_

Danny Hebert entered the restaurant, and his eyes immediately found the person he was supposed to be meeting.

If it wasn't for the clothes he was wearing, the man he was meeting could blend into any crowd. He was white, had short cropped salt and pepper hair, and was just over six feet tall. His age. Could have been anything from his early twenties, to a well preserved early forties. As Danny got closer, he could examine more details.

The other man was wearing a black eyepatch over his left eye, what looked like leather gloves, and very nice grey suit, highlighted by a blood red tie. As Danny slid into the seat, he smiled genially and extended his hand.

"Hello Mr. Hebert. My name is Nikolas Scratch. It is a distinct pleasure to meet you."

Danny shook Scratchs' hand as he sat down, and did his best to mask a massive twitch as he noticed Scratches tie had shifted a noticeable few inches to the left, and seemed to have bulged outwards despite the fact that the sitting man hadn't moved other then to shake Dannys hand.

Scratch idly tapped one the fingers of one hand, creating a metallic rapping against the table as he stared at Danny.

"Sooo Mr Hebert…" He drawled, an unknown accent creeping up on certain syllables. "What is it you want? I know the mayor is the one who referred you, but did he explain anything more about the whole process of making a deal with me?"

Danny shrugged, his eyes hardening.

"My daughter, she… She isn't well."

He ran a hand through his thinning hair as he sighed.

"To more honest, she's dying. Roy knew I was getting desperate, so he took me aside one day, and told me that you could help, but only if I had already exhausted every other avenue, because what you charge to help."

Danny winced briefly as he realized he might have offended Scratch, but the younger man just waved a hand nonchalantly, still smiling.

"Thats usually how much people know coming in. The real cost isn't the money that I charge, since most of the time I don't even charge money, usually just a favor or two. My power itself requires a sacrifice of something valued Mr Hebert. To give you an example,"

Scratch flipped up his eyepatch to reveal a cavernous and empty socket. He left it up for a few moments before flipping it back down.

"Shortly after I first received my powers, I realized just how vulnerable and desired a person with my powers was going to be, and since I was broke and alone, that left me with only a few viable routes. In the end, I was driven to find safety and security, so I sacrificed my eye, and a few memories, and in return my power gave me a limited pre-cog power. Over the years, Ive continued paying my power for more and more upgrades to it, until I now have a power that I would rate personally as an 8 on the PRT's power scale."

Scratch noticed as the older man paled slightly, and immediately went to reassure the man.

"It doesn't have to be a body part of course, most of the people who make a deal tend to use money, it just happens that you'd need a lot of it."

Danny quirked an eyebrow, prompting Scratch to continue.

"My power works on how valuable _I_ perceive the wish being made, which is why most of the time I do my best to understand the psychology and the background of both the wish being made, and the person making it before finalizing the deal. That is why in this case I'm doing my best to determine wether or not you are actually able to afford the wish, and giving you other payment options if not."

Danny sighed and nodded, rubbing his brow, Scratch rubbed the back of his sheepishly.

"Just making it totally clear, you can sacrifice anything towards the wish, metaphorical or literal."

And then abruptly the man, who had up until that point, had been a slightly awkward, kind seeming young man, seemed to shift and change, his smile becoming predatory, the light in his eyes dying until it resembled glass.

"So, now that you know the price Mr. Hebert, tell me, what do you _want?"_

Danny swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.

"I want Taylor to be healthy, I want to strong and complete again. I want her to never be hurt again. I want her to be able to be the kind, smiling girl from before her mother died… And I never want her to be hurt again. By anything."

Scratch gave a low whistle as he sat back in his seat. His tie, Danny noticed, had settled back into the middle of his chest, and seemed to have wilted a little, its color becoming a little duller.

"That is a hefty request Mr. Hebert. And it comes with a commiserate price. Are you prepared to pay the price for that?"

A fire was lit deep within Dannys eyes.

"Absolutly. All I ask, is if I it requires my life, that I get 24 hours to say goodbye to Taylor."

Scratch stuck out his hand and grinned, each digit of his outstretched, gloved hand alight with a greenish white bale fire.

"I think that sound perfect to me, so, you life for your daughters health, both mental and physical, as well as her continued well being. And enough power, that she is never hurt again. The only caveat is that you receive 24 hour in which the price is deferred so that you can say goodbye. Agreed?"

Danny shook Scratches hand, the fire on each finger spreading out to wrap around Dannys hand.

"The deal is sealed Mr. Hebert. Starting now, you have 24 hours to say goodbye."

 _Scene Break_

Scratch rubbed his eye patch irritably after Hebert had left. The deal he had made with the other man had taken it out of him, especially with differing the price for twenty four hours, it would continue draining him until the 24 hours were up.

But the sheer _sacrifice_ that Hebert had been willing to give, his entire existence, his future choices. All of it was being sacrificed on the altar for the sake of his daughter.

A shiver of pleasure arced up Scratches spine.

The feeling of that deal being finalized had tasted _wonderful_.

Suddenly, a spike of pain shot through Scratches empty eye socket as a vision of the future shoved itself into his mind. As it ran out, Scratch had to sneer, it seemed the local Protectorate had surrounded the exit to the building. They had let Hebert go, but immediately after he had left, the entirety of the Protectorate, and a number of Wards were arranged around the building.

Nikolas Scratch sighed as he stood up, brushed some non-non-existent dust off of his suit, and made for the door.

 _Chapter 2 - the Protectorate_

Colin Wallis, also known as Armsmaster sighed. He had been busy tinkering when the Director Piggot had called in an all hands meeting, which required all Protectorate members, and a majority of the Wards to be present. What the Director had not done was tell him why she had called the meeting.

He entered the conference room, and gave a nod towards the few Protectorate members present that he also respected. He also gave a nod towards Aegis, present in his role as leader of the Wards.

At the front of the room Piggot stood up, and spoke.

"Thank you all for responding so quickly, I just received word from the chief director."

Collin felt one of his eyebrows rise underneath his helmet as he considered the fact that the chief director had called in this tip. Piggot brought up a small remote, pressing a button that caused one of the recessed televisions in the wall to switch on, its screen displaying a surveillance photo of a young man with an eyepatch and short, almost military styled hair. The director pointed at the picture on the T.V.

"This, is the S class threat, Jack Scratch."

Colin blinked. His data was well up to date on all S class threats both at home in abroad, mostly because there was only around a dozen, let alone singular parahumans who qualified as S class threats, and this person was not on any of the lists he had access to. Piggot continued to speak over the mutters of the capes in the room.

"The reason Jack Scratch is considered an S class threat is because of their ability to make a bargain, the price goes up and down according to the wish. There have been multiple examples of bargins being struck for Para-human powers, or increases to already existing powers among other things."

Aegis raised one gauntleted hand to ask,

"Excuse me Director, because while this ability does seem incredibly useful, why is this guy an S class threat? It sounds like one of the Wards could apprehend this guy."

Piggot shot a gimlet glare at the young teen which quailed any further question before she responded to the question.

"The reason being is Scratch is able to get new parahuman powers for themselves, according to the information we currently have, he is at least a Brute six since he has ripped through containment foam and shown an immunity to small arms fire. Scratch also has a high thinker rating, currently rated at a 7 for the simple matter that Scratch seems to be able to perceive any danger to themselves a maximum of an hour in advance depending on how many Parahumans are present. Not to mention their trump 10 ability since they are able to grant, increase, and otherwise manipulate Parahuman powers."

Piggot leaned forward, honest concern leaking onto her face.

"I caution all of you, those abilities that Ive listed are a minimum of two years old, in the intervening time, we have no idea just what powers he might have bought. We are beginning deployment now, the parahumans will deploy last in order to put off tipping him for as long as possible."

 _Scene Break_

Aegis watched as the Scratch, the man in the suit, casually stepped out from the restaurant where he had been meeting with the civilian.

Scratch casually turned to observe the dozens of PRT troopers blocking off each side of the street, and the Protectorate members arrayed directly across from him. And then he couldn't help but shiver as Scratch grinned and began tugging off the leather gloves covering his hands, revealing both hands with metallic skin, immediately Armsmaster came over the radio with a warning.

 _"_ _Be cautious, subject has metallic covering on both hands, possible striker or changer powers."_

And then Scratch brought both his hands together in a thunderous, screeching clap of metal on metal, that somehow caused every Trooper nearby to collapse.

 _Scene Break_

Scratch grinned. That had been a Shaker power that he had finally managed to amass enough funds to get, he had had to sacrifice one of his hands to round off the cost, but still, a couple bars of gold and he had another replacement, the shaker ability manifested when he clapped his uncovered hands, in a sphere around him, every unpowered human would fall unconscious, he could do the same thing in a smaller area if he snapped his fingers.

Now, how to deal with the rest of the Protectorate, there was always scorched earth, but that was for villains, and unless they pushed or tried to break the unwritten rules, it probably wouldn't be necessary.

Always nice to have backups though.

Scratch pasted a wide smile onto his face as Armsmaster stepped up and spoke, his voice being amplified by a riot speaker in his helmet.

"Parahuman Jack Scratch! Surrender now! Any further aggressive action will result in a lethal response!"

Scratch just continued to smile as he slipped his gloves back on over his metallic hands. All around him there was a sound of heroes readying themselves for battle, Militia on the top of one of the PRT APC's, armed with a heavy caliber rifle. Velocity, already in his Breaker state off to one side, ready an waiting for action. Triumph, his lines of fire clear, poised for one of his sonic screams to soften the villain up, Scratch was sure that the rest of the Protectorate were there somewhere, but they were the only ones visible. On the Wards side, Shadow Stalker was visible, her crossbow already cocked and drawn, Aegis floating up in the sky with Kid Win on his hoverboard. Gallant was over to the side next to Armsmaster while Vista and Clockblocker were just visible on top of a roof top across the street.

So many heroes, so little time.

 _Scene Break_

Clockblocker was on the roof of the building across from the bar the Heroes had arranged themselves around the building, he had felt his jaw drop when Scratch had clapped his hands together, and every person who wasn't a Parahuman had dropped like a rock.

He had glanced to check on Vista, the younger ward was frowning furiously.

He leaned over and whispered to her.

"Whats wrong?"

Vista whispered back without taking her eyes of her opponent.

"He has a bubble around him that I cant manipulate."

Clock swore under his breath, the reason either of them were even on the field was the hope that the combination of their powers would be a able to give the others enough time to weigh down the villain with as many restraints as possible.

He looked to Vista and shrugged.

"So, are we just going to sit here and watch then?"

Vista shrugged back.

"Unless you have a better idea?"

Clockblocker sighed as he turned back to watch the coming fight.

 _Scene Break_

Scratch smiled as Armsmaster stepped closer.

"Armsmaster, I consider this an act of war by Protectorate. Are you sure you want to double down, and make me take you seriously?"

The hero nodded solemnly as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his neck.

"I do. We have been ordered to take you in, or take you down."

The man in the grey suit nodded affably.

"I see, I see. Might I ask, who gave the order fo you to come apprehend me?"

Armsmaster's head cocked to one side.

"If I answer that, could you answer a few questions?"

Scratches smiled went wider then what Armsmaster would have thought possible.

"Sure. Why not. I'll go first. Who gave the order for my apprehension?"

"Director Piggot. What power did you just use on the PRT troopers?"

"A shaker power that I got a few months ago, non lethal, lasts a couple hours. Who gave director Piggot the order?"

"It came directly from the offices of the Chief Director. What other abilities have you gotten in the last six months?"

"My… Thats a large bored question isn't it? I improved my thinker ability, acquired the Shaker ability that you just witnessed, and a mover ability. How did the Chief Director know where I was?"

"I don't know. Mover albitiy?"

"Yep want to see it?"

Armsmaster rushed forward, just in time for Scratch to disappear, popping like a soap bubble.

 _End of Chapter two_

So, Didn't quite do it for me on the first chapter, 2nd was better.

Powers are currently broken down as follows.

Trump 10: Can alter fabric of reality as long as the price is met, includes granting Parahuman powers and resurrecting the dead. Only reason it isn't Trump infinite is it requires the price which scales up or down to how valuable he perceives wish as.

Brute 6: Strong enough to get through containment foam and tough enough to tank a round from a fifty cal.

Thinker 5/8: Lie detector. Got it early on in his career to help with determining value of a wish. Secondary thinker power is a precog ability that gives him a minimum of thirty second warning but scales up for the number of parahumans engaging in aggressive action up to a limit of thirty days.

Mover 6: Can teleport to a single point fixed point from anywhere in the world, requires a 24 hour cool down. Can move the teleportation marker once a week.

Shaker 5: Short or medium range ability that knocks out non-parahumans for around an hour.

Also, want another chapter of this? Have a cauldron, a Taylor, or a Sophia if anyone wants another piece.


	30. Chapter 30

_Deal or no Deal? - Cauldron_

Alexandria sighed as she exited the door into the Cauldron's hidden base, and then stopped as she registered just who was sitting at one of the chairs, their feet resting on the main meeting table.

Scratch, in all his easy, sleazy, glory.

The man smiled at Alexandria idly, his tie bright scarlet, like a bloom of blood on his chest.

"Hello Alexandria. I do believe the Chief Director and I need to have a talk."

Alexandria swallowed. She was good, she was a member of the Triumvirate for more then just having been there at the founding of the Protectorate, she had earned her spot through blood, sweat, and tears. But Nikolas Scratch was inhuman in every sense of the word. To his credit, he usually avoided confrontation because he could more easily make his deals without having to fight in every city he went to.

And now he was sitting in front of her.

Rebbeca Costa-Brown sat in the chair opposite the S class threat and placed steepled fingers on the chair.

"Very well Scratch. What do you want?"

Alexandria blinked and Scratch was in front of her. Perched on the table, eyes almost completely dominated by black pupils.

"I want to know why you put the Brockton Protectorate onto my trail, I also want to know how you did that, Im aware of Contessa, but I should be immune to her powers."

Rebecca leaned away from Scratch by a fraction.

"I put them onto you, because your needed Jack. We're coming down to the wire, ten years is the current estimation of how much time left we have. And then everything ends. And Contessa wasn't the one who found you, it was the Number Man."

Another blink and Scratch was back in his chair, rubbing a hand contemplatively over his short cropped hair.

"Hmmm… Interesting, I suppose I should be glad that it was that glorified accountant who found me at least, rather then someone who's very identity is shaped by their power, and who is trying to fight one of the beings who grants that power with a shard of that self same gift."

Alexandria processed the implications of that statement, and then processed them a little more.

"What do you mean, her powers shaped her identity?"

Scratch shrugged.

"I mean what I say, and I say what I mean."

And Alexandrias look of blank incomprehension, he sighed.

"Look, think it through yourself, but more importantly, why the hell did you sick hero's on me? You know I work on commission, and my wishes work the same wether for myself, or anyone else."

Alexandria leaned back into her chair and shrugged.

"Like I said, we're entering the end game. We're prepared to trade you, vial for vial, for stable powers. We're looking to get rid of all the stock, of every main source of revenue that Cauldron posses, in order to fuel the final mobilization of as many capes as possible."

Scratch idly ran one hand down his tie, pale fingers running across bloody silk.

"Fine. But you know as well as I, a commission is a commission, and I don't intend to stop my travel just because you tell me the world is ending. I'll leave you a direct line so you can call me day or night, but remember my next words well Rebbeca Costa-Brown."

Alexandria felt the temperature of the room _drop_ to the point where her breath, but not his, came out as a fog.

"If you attempt to sick the dogs from any of your organization on me again, I will crush you. I might not be able to go head to head with you Alexandria, but I am owed just as many favors, by far more powerful capes, and far richer men and women the you."

The he popped out of existence like a soap bubble.

 _Deal or No Deal - Taylor_

Taylor Hebert awoke with a groan, aches and pains making themselves known all over her body as she stretched.

Considering she had given herself even odds on never waking up again after she had been stuck in that… That _thing_. She was doing fairly well.

She opened her eyes, and then blinked, and blinked again, and then blinked one more time as she realized she didn't have her glasses on, but she was still able to see clearly, hell, better then clearly, she was seeing better then she could ever remember seeing, glasses or no.

She was also happy, and not like the 'oh my, I'm loving this steak', it was a bone deep, soul warming happiness.

It was the type of happiness that let Taylor know, that despite everything she was going to be alright.

And it was odd… She hadn't felt like this in years, not since her mom had passed.

And then her Dad walked in, and he smiled at her, but then he spoke, and as he spoke, and her world crumbled, and yet, despite that, she still felt _happy_.

If her dad was going to die, if she was destined to be alone, she would enjoy that last bit of time she had left with him.

They talked, laughed, he told her all the stories, how he had met her mother, his life growing up, and just what would happen next.

That night, as the sun set, they sat next to each other, hands clasped as they watched the ocean. And as Danny Hebert slowly fell away into gentled glowing motes of ash.

And she still felt happy.

 _Authors Note_

Forgot two powers.

Trump 4, extends the Manton limits barrier a few extra feet around himself

Brute 4, Takes in and metabolizes heat as energy, rendering himself functionally able to not eat or drink. Also works for intimidation.

Next chapter will be a little more Taylor, then a Sophia. Maybe a Dennis since the reasoning given for that was good. After that it will be onto the next.


	31. Chapter 31

_Deal or No Deal- Sophia_

Sophia blinked. She had to admit that Taylor had some balls. The girl had come back to school a couple of weeks after being shoved in her locker, and had come back smiling and happy. Not like on drugs happy, it was a sort of deep contentment. It was interesting, she seemed to have already come to terms with her fathers death.

She shrugged mentally, Hebert had probably just finally broken for good, but Sophia was going to check to make sure. Not really because she hated Hebert, but because she pitied the girl. She was a sheep, wasn't a bad thing really, she just had a hard time realizing that she was _lesser_ then Sophia was.

And she, as her position of predator dictated, would be more then happy to show it to her.

 _Scene Break_

Taylor felt hands on her back as she neared the top of the stairs, it pushed her forward and sent her tumbling down the stairs, crashing into and over the railing, and down to the ground floor.

She impacted with a crash.

She lay there, unmoving, a thought in her mind, a smile on her face.

 _'I'm happy she hasn't changed. That means I can still be happy once I deal with her…'_

 _Scene Break_

Sophia looked in shock as Hebert stood up, a smile still on her face as what looked like liquid silver flowed under Hebert's clothes, solidifying, molding, and then expanding, shredding the grungy clothes she had been wearing.

Until, when it was finished, and a female silver statue stood proudly, a lovely smile prominent on its face.

Sophia stared at the silver statue that had been Hebert, her jaw dropped.

Sophia had once had to do a report on the Venus di Milo, she admitted it to anyone else, but the statue had been beautiful, something that she privately considered to be a perfect form of art.

The living statue in front of her was naked, and other then her smooth metallic features, the two prominent spheres on her chest, and her long silvered hair, was completely smooth, and was so, still, so perfect, that it took her breath away.

And then the statue moved, her metal skin, flexing and creasing without sound, and with that smile still on her face, the statue spoke.

"Sophia, you just tried to kill me."

It spoke with Heberts voice, but it was somehow aged, smoothed, rougher, smokey, beyond all description. Somehow so much _better_ then Hebert had ever sounded, and yet still exactly the same. The statues legs flexed as she crouched, and then she _jumped_ , slamming into Sophia who was still gawking, catching hold of her by her throat. Hebert leaned in close.

"So now, I'm going to kill you."

Sophia tried to struggle around the metallic grasp that was slowly strangling her, but failed. She stared into the pitiless silver eyes. And then phased out, going shadow and through the floor. The last thing she saw before she lost sight of Hebert, was that ever-present smile, finally twisting into a rage filled snarl.

And somehow, that terrified her far more then how close to death she had just come.

 _Authors Note_

Really didn't intend to have this powerset, or Sophias reaction, but I ended up liking it. As far as Taylors appearance, mix a female silver surfer with the Venus Di Milo.

So, Taylors powers are a little confusing, and I'll try and communicate the ratings as best as I can.

Brute 6: Non-Breaker-statue Taylor is immune to explosions and high caliber rounds, could tank Glory Girl and hookwolf. Can still be poisoned or gassed.

Mover 1: Fairly agile.

Breaker 8: Transforms into her statue state with a number of sub ratings inherent onto it.

Breaker state ratings as follows

Brute 7: The silver covering is platinum, She also has a purely defensive form of the Siberians dimensional phase thing. She does have beyond normal strength, but its enough to throw a mack truck, punch through walls, etc. But Mover cannot go toe to toe with an Endbringer or Alexandria. She could tank, but she would never be able to defeat them. It also removes her need to breath.

Mover 3: Can leap single stories in a single bound.

Shaker/Master 4/2: Has an ability similar to Glory Girl except it _only_ makes people distracted by, or admire her.

Thinker 2: Is in a constant low-level state off happiness unless overpowered by another emotion.

So yeah… Wasn't really planning on that particular power or Sophias reaction, but I like it. Taylors cape name will be Galatea, cookie if you can guess where its from.

Next chapter will be a Dennis.


End file.
